


Shut Up & Kiss

by AnnCherie



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bisexual Jace Wayland, Everyone is LGBT+, Lesbian Clary Fray, M/M, Maryse Lightwood Being An Asshole, Pansexual Isabelle Lightwood, Pansexual Simon Lewis, Past Magnus Bane/Camille Belcourt, Robert Lightwood Being an Asshole, Some clizzy, jace has always been a lightwood but is adopted, johnathan is called sebastian but is still the horrible dick we love to hate, past rizzy, past saphael, the lightwood children deserve better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2018-11-28 07:29:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11413131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnCherie/pseuds/AnnCherie
Summary: Simon and Jace have hated each other for ten years. Alec and Magnus are sick of the feud.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Based off an rp by myself and Ash (alec-gideons)

It was the second week of Sophomore year for Simon and Clary and he was already lamenting the fact that he had three full years before he would be done with high school. Three more years of cliques and cafeteria food and the stupid sports team that he was ranting to Clary about in the hallway before class. “Look, I just think football and it’s culture is unnecessary. I mean guy cheerleaders get called gay but then football players slap each other on the ass and tackle each other in tight clothes.”

 

“Who says there’s anything wrong with being gay in the first place?”

 

Simon whipped around to see Jace Lightwood, member of the football team, and Alec Lightwood, captain of the football team, both glaring at him. It was bad enough that Simon had dissed football not knowing they were within earshot, but Alec had fairly recently come out as gay and now all Simon wanted to do was dig his own grave. “Nothing! I'm just saying football is more handsy with other guys than cheerleading is! Not that I mind getting handsy with guys-- I mean, wow, that came out weird. I'm not homophobic! I'm pansexual, so that would be stupid."

 

Clary looked like she was five seconds from doubling over from trying to keep her laughter held in now, although her eyes had gone just as wide when they heard Jace as well. By the time Simon had told them he was pansexual and not homophobic Alec had rolled his eyes and walked off with a scoff. Jace watched him leave before folding his arms and challenging Simon directly. "So what exactly about football do you think is unnecessary, huh? How it teaches discipline? Teamwork? Effort? Strength? Courage?"

 

"How about how it gives an upper hand to about twenty students, academically?" Simon shot back. "Coaches do anything to make sure you can play, which means you get an unfair pass on your grades. And not to mention the elitist thing that comes with being a jock."

 

"Hey, I work just as hard at my grades as you do, _and_ I actually show up to the gym at five am. That elitist thing is earned. You try and do what we do every hour of the day and then tell me you don't feel proud." Jace snapped back.

 

“It is not earned,” Simon argued. “Jocks have no right to parade around like they own the school. Newsflash, New York state does. So maybe your teammates could stop bullying anyone they don’t like.”

 

"Those guys are idiots and my brother and I have threatened them to stop." Jace spat angrily. "But if you want to just lump us all together into one big high school stereotype fine, be my guest."

 

And with that he walked off, looking even more pissed off than Alec had.

 

Simon stayed stationary, glaring at his back, before glancing to Clary. “... I should apologize to Alec.”

 

“Just Alec?” Clary asked quietly, an eyebrow raised. They started walking again.

 

“Yes,” Simon replied stubbornly. “Jace may not bully people but he’s the exact sort of guy I was talking about with his complete arrogance and perfect looks and stupid hair.”

 

Clary giggled. “Simon, you have got to tell him how you feel before you end up killing each other."

 

"I can't do that. You know I can't do that, Clary. Major disaster, absolutely not." He shook his head, glad that they had reached their lockers so he could focus on opening his instead receiving Clary’s look she was giving him.

 

"It would not be a major disaster, Simon," Clary argued. "I'm pretty sure none of the Lightwoods are straight."

 

“When have Jace and I ever gotten along, Clary? We’ve fought since Kindergarden. We hate each other,” Simon said.

 

"Well...," Clary sighed, reaching into her locker next to his. When she was done grabbing her books she turned and gave him a wink. "I hear hate sex is a thing."

 

He scoffed. "Clary! You know I'm still the virginiest virgin to ever virgin. Not going to happen."

 

"You know I'm kidding." She smiled. "Look, just apologize to Alec and see what he says about Jace hating you forever and all that okay? I'll talk to Isabelle if you want, she's in my English class."

 

Simon sighed, and nodded, "See you later. Wish me luck."

 

 

He spotted Alec in the hall after first period. “Alec! Alec, hey.”

 

Alec glanced back at Simon, still looking more than a little annoyed, and muttered a hello and a goodbye within a few seconds as he walked down the hall. Simon was only barely able to keep up with the tall Captain’s stride. “Alec wait! I'm sorry about what I said before. I didn't mean for you guys to be present for that conversation. Or to interpret it like that."

 

"Right, you only meant to insult us behind our backs, got it." Alec said, continuing to walk.

 

“No, that’s not it! Look you’re really cool and I would never say anything bad about you, especially not your sexuality. I was just mad at some of your teammates for talking shit about me and you probably know Jace and I don’t exactly get along,” Simon sighed, looking away.

 

"Look, I don't care what you believe or how you feel about me honestly," Alec said. "I have an amazing boyfriend who cares about me and a good family most of the time, but Jace has horrible self esteem issues as much as he pretends not to so stop being a dick to him."

 

“Jace Lightwood has self esteem issues?” Simon scoffed, extremely doubtful. “Are we talking about the same Jace?”

 

Alec scowled, turning to meet Simon with his full height.

 

“Right, sorry,” Simon apologized quickly. No wonder Alec was football captain, he could be terrifying. Simon had only once seen Izzy pissed off, but the family resemblance was definitely there. “I’ll try to be nicer.”

 

 _Even if he is a dick_ , Simon wanted to add, but knew better.

 

Alec rolled his eyes again. “Let me know when you two kiss just to shut each other up.”

 

Simon could feel his face turn bright red and Alec gave the tiniest of smirks before turning around and walking away.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Magnus form their plan while Alec tries not to think too much about where his own relationship is heading (to no success).

Alec found his boyfriend sitting alone in the corner of the library lounging idly on one of the chairs, and he went over ignoring the rules only to rudely say, "Simon Lewis is an idiot and some of it might be Jace’s fault."

 

"You've only just figured this out, Alexander?" Magnus said with an amused smile and a raised brow as he put his book down. "I think everything could be solved if the two just kissed and made up."

 

"That's what I said!" Alec half shouted, his hands out to his side in frustration. "This morning they got into yet another fight this time over football and being gay. Normally I wouldn’t care, but this time Jace was put in a horrible mood-- probably over the reminder that Lewis isn’t straight-- and then Lewis stalked me in the hallway to talk about it. Hopeless.”

 

“Indeed,” Magnus agreed. “I've tried alleviating the situation. They're both very abrasive when it comes to the other. Too much pent up sexual tension."

 

He made a face at the idea of Jace being pent up. Magnus chuckled, taking his hand in his. Alec immediately acquiesced with only the tiniest glance to the school librarian who was busy with a line of students and sat on the arm of Magnus’ chair. “So what exactly did you try doing then?”

 

"I tried to lock them together in a closet, but a teacher was rather curious to what I was doing, so I walked away." He sighed. "I would have called it the Great Closet Incident."

 

"I bet it would have worked," Alec nodded, thinking. He kissed Magnus' forehead quickly. "Thank you for being nice enough to try. I know Jace gets on your nerves sometimes."

 

"Jace gets on everyone's nerves, Alexander. Besides, a happy Jace would get on them less. He and Simon are so blind that they can't see how obviously enamoured they both are for one another." He sighed dramatically.

 

"Does that mean you're still planning something?" Alec asked curiously. He knew that tone.

 

"I'm not sure yet. Perhaps." He reached up, brushing his fingers against Alec's jaw line. "Would you like to... Get involved, when I do have a solid idea?"

 

"Mm," Alec hummed, happy with the feeling for a second. Almost too happy, because he just barely didn't catch on to the tactic. "Nice try Magnus. I've done enough matchmaking, I'm out."

 

"What matchmaking have you done?" He scoffed, looking up at him.

 

"I told Simon to stop being a dick to Jace and kiss him," Alec said defensively. "That's the extent of my love advice, Mags. You want Izzy for this."

 

"Isabelle isn't going to be able to convince Jace to go on a blind date." He pointed out, eyes twinkling.

 

Alec stared, getting off the chair. "You think I--" he pointed at his own chest "--can? Jace doesn't trust  _ anyone _ when it comes to taste in love interests."

 

"But he trusts you a little more; he's your best friend, isn’t he?" Magnus pointed out. Pouting, he added, "Now you're so far away, Alexander. Come back."

 

If it were anyone else, even family, Alec would be giving a very long, hard glare. It was Magnus though, the very sexy boyfriend of his who apparently had a lot more persuasion over him than he wanted. This sort of annoying, possibly drama-filled task was usually out of the question for him. But Magnus was giving him the look, and technically this was more for Alec’s benefit than Magnus’ anyway. Alec sighed. "Alright. What do you want me to say?"

 

"Just tell Jace that... He's being set up on a blind date and to trust you, because he can always trust you." Magnus decided, leaning in to kiss Alec's cheek. "I can feel your restraint at rolling your eyes. It's quite endearing.” 

 

"Only for you, you know," Alec said back with a small smile, trying not to be too cheesy. Their relationship was still pretty new and it had all started so fast. He had absolutely no regrets but he still was unsure of his footing sometimes.

 

This time, he pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. "You're adorable." He commented, and leaned back in his chair. "You should come over after school?"

 

"After practice," Alec agreed readily, torn that he couldn't skip it. On one hand it would give him a chance to talk to Jace, on the other it was more time away from Magnus.

 

"Perfect." He hummed. "I can make us dinner?"

 

"Yeah, that sounds amazing." Alec nodded, a little distracted. 

 

They’d be alone. Magnus’ home was almost always empty of his powerful father, after all. The past few weeks Alec and Magnus had edged closer and closer to doing a lot more than kissing and anytime Alec thought about what it was leading to he could barely breathe.

 

"Is there anything specific you’ll want?" The elder boy asked Alec with a bit of a smile, gaze connecting with his.

 

"Um," Alec paused, trying to think and not blush because being nervous in front of his own boyfriend was more than a little embarrassing no matter how hot he was... For a minute he could barely even remember what they had been talking about, too wrapped up in memories and daydreams involving Magnus’ bed. "Tuna?"

 

"How about a tuna casserole?" Magnus suggested with a little chuckle.

 

"Uh, yeah, that sounds great," Alec fumbled, far too embarrassed to say anything now. 

 

It wasn’t the sexual feelings that freaked him out, really, or even the idea of having sex. (Although that was slightly intimidating). It was the fact that they had only been dating a little over a month but he knew that if they took things further physically Alec might end up telling Magnus the three words that probably shouldn’t be said for longer. Sex was one thing.  _ I love you... _

 

"Only if I can find fresh tuna, none of that canned bullshit." Magnus said with a flourish. His eyes were watching him carefully though.

 

"Yeah, of course," Alec said awkwardly

 

Magnus kissed his cheek. "I need to finish reading this for English, are you going to sit with me?"

  
"Sure," he said, pulling over a chair as the librarian finally spotted him sitting improperly on the arm. She glared at the both of them and he sent her an awkward apologetic wave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, please, please continue to review!! It inspires me to write more every time!


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus, Alec, and Izzy execute their plan for Jace and Simon to much begrudging success

 

* * *

 

 

“What do you mean I’m going on a blind date?” Jace asked in the locker room, lacing up his cleats as they got ready for football practice. It was the beginning of the year and the Homecoming game would be soon. The entire team was both hyped and nervous. First real games back were always this way. Yet here Alec was, adding on to Jace’s stress. As if being quarterback wasn’t enough.

Alec adjusted his own shoulder pads, looking rather uncomfortable about the subject before he sighed and looked Jace straight in the eyes. “I meant exactly what I said, Jace. Trust me on this."

"Trust you? Who even set this up, Izzy or Magnus? You can't tell me you of all people did this." Jace replied, staring down his brother as best as he could. Alec was still quite a bit taller than him, as annoying as that was.

"It wasn't an individual effort," Alec decided to say. "Come on, would I steer you wrong? Ever?"

Jace scoffed. "You filled my bath with ducks once because you were mad at a prank I had done like two months earlier. How do I know this isn't some prank?"

"Because your love life isn't a joke to me, Jace." He said genuinely, raising a brow at him. "I'm not that bad of a brother."

Jace frowned, looking up at the locker room ceiling, before asking, "What on earth is this person like?"

"They're... a really good match for you." Alec dropped his hands, moving to tie his fancy football shoes. "Let's go before coach makes us do extra laps."

"At least tell me if they're a Giants fan or not?" Jace whined. If this person was a Dallas Cowboys fan it would never work out.

“No idea.”

Jace sent a worried glance at Alec at that tone, but it was already late and so they ran to the field to practice.

 

* * *

 

 

Simon and Isabelle Lightwood’s friendship hadn’t begun that long after she and Clary had finally hit it off back in middle school. Izzy had always been extremely popular-- she was gorgeous, intimidating, smart, and still somehow one of the sweetest girls at the school-- and so both Simon and Clary had been shocked when she asked to hang out with them. Clary had been even more frazzled than Simon about it at first, which he thought was extremely telling.

Now that they were in high school, Izzy and Simon had become completely comfortable around each other as long as Jace wasn’t mentioned and Alec wasn’t around to make as many sarcastic comments as one possibly could. In fact Izzy had even agreed to tutor Simon in chemistry-- a subject he seemed to fail no matter how much he loved science fiction-- as long as Simon helped her with music lessons.

Currently they were in the library after school going over the Avogadro’s number (Izzy had laughed for almost a full minute when Simon had accidentally called it the Avocado number). Simon was studying his next problem and Izzy was checking how much time they had till football practice was over when Alec would come pick her up.

"You're going on a blind date on Saturday." Izzy told him matter-of-factly after putting her phone down, no room for argument in her tone.

Simon looked up from his textbook immediately, stunned. "Excuse me?"

"You're going on a blind date on Saturday with a really cute person, and no, you don't get a say. And yes, I will help you with your outfit beforehand."

"What are you even talking about? Who is this person? Do I know them? Do I like them? Why the sudden set up? I don't think you know me well enough if you think my anxiety can handle this sort of pressure, I mean--,"

Izzy covered his mouth. "Simon, shut up. It'll be fine." She promised with a smile, and dropped her hand from his mouth.

"How do I know that?" Simon stressed, "Also you answered none of my questions!"

"I can't answer any of them. It's a blind date. Which means you don't know anything beforehand. And I know, because I would never let you go into a disastrous situation on purpose."

"You say that," Simon started, "but you forget my power to make any situation immediately disastrous. Does Clary know who it is? What does Clary think?"

"Clary thinks it's a great idea, Simon." Isabelle soothed. "She encourages it."

That calmed him a little bit, but he still was freaked out. Saturday was two days away. Two days of stress and worry and wondering who on earth this mystery person would turn out to be. He was trying to figure out who Izzy would see him with. Maybe Maia? But no, Maia was seeing Gretel wasn't she? Raphael was definitely off the menu ever since he and Simon had broken up the first time and that had ended up badly. Izzy barely knew Maureen and Maureen didn’t like her… Honestly Izzy knew so many people in this school and this city that Simon would probably never be able to guess who it was.

 

* * *

 

Jace didn't expect much from this date. He knew his love life hadn't been active lately. He had danced with people and made out at parties but that was usually it. He didn't have time for anything else. He had football, home practice, school... So what if he didn't actually go on real dates?

When he's told to ask for the table reserved under Bane at one of the ‘top 15 romantic restaurants in the city’ according to the plaque at the host’s station, he's suspicious. He’s led to the table and he has to admit the aquarium by the table is beautiful. There's a brunette guy looking away from them, studying the fish, and Jace feels even more wary as he's being led closer. Justifiably, as about ten feet before he reaches the table it's Simon Lewis that turns around.

"Fuck you, Alec," Jace swears under his breath.

  
The host is either pretending not to notice the tension or is genuinely oblivious to it, because they actually pull out the chair across from Simon for Jace to sit down, menus in arm ready to be handed out. Debating whether or not to even sit before he stormed off, Jace finally sat simply so the host would stop staring at him.

Simon was still staring with wide eyes, completely still.

"Izzy or Alec ask you to do this?" Jace asked, furious. He shouldn't be this mad, really, but he is. Fuming. Of all people they had to put him with the one goddamn person that hated him and had absolutely nothing in common with him?

"Izzy. I assume she's in cahoots with Magnus, though. I guess you're not happy to be here-- which is fine. I was a really huge asshole to you on Thursday. Which I'm sorry about, by the way. I didn't really mean any of the things I said to you, I was just mad. At myself. Sorry. You can leave if you want. I would understand. Not that you have to."

It was a much more calm response than Jace was expecting, but leave it to Lewis to act polite in this sort of situation. "No, Simon, I'm not exactly happy to be on a date with someone who hates me in the first place, especially when my lovely sister knew that."

"Stay anyway?" Simon asked.

Jace stared at him, sure he had been slipped something at the door, but didn’t move other than to raise an eyebrow.

Simon stared down at the table as he picked up the menu and ignored Jace’s prying eyes. "I don't hate you."

For the first time in a very long time Jace was sincerely shocked.

Looking away, Jace shook his head. "Don't get your hopes up for me Simon. I'm still the same football loving jock you have nothing in common with. What are we even going to talk about?"

Simon finally looked uncomfortable for a minute, but he did argue, "You like Star Wars, as much as you insist on denying it, I saw you at the opening line for Force Awakens. You even really like marvel, I remember you dressed up as Captain America in second grade and you still have a marvel sticker on the inside door of your locker now. We both suck at drawing from that one art class, and we both cower faced with Izzy's cooking..."

"Everyone cowers at Izzy's cooking," Jace argued, but he smiled despite himself. Had Lewis really paid that much attention?

Before anything else could be said and they got too friendly, the waiter arrived with pretty glasses of water and asked for their order, consequently begging the question-- were they really going to do this? Simon stared at him warily and Jace felt the pressure building. It was just one meal alone, right? And the very least he could do to get back at Magnus was order every expensive item possible.

“I’ll have the top three priciest dishes,” Jace said with a mischievous smile, looking directly at the waiter so he wouldn’t have to see Simon’s expression.

“Do you want them cooked a certain way?” the waiter asked, not looking the slight bit surprised. Jace was a little let down. Damn the rich entitled people of New York.

“I’m sure they’ll be good,” he said. He hadn’t even looked at the menu, but he wasn’t that picky of an eater and he was still starving from the gym earlier. Plus if the meals turned out terrible he’d have an excuse to leave sooner.

The waiter turned to Simon next, who had already looked at the entire menu, but he asked first, “Are you a kosher restaurant?”

Jace blinked while the waiter nodded, and Simon gave a relieved sigh as he ordered some fancy well done steak. Now that it was brought up, Jace remembered Izzy talking about Simon’s bar mitzvah a few years ago but somehow he had still forgotten that Simon was more than just some annoying nerd who hated him.

“I don’t think Izzy’s cooking is kosher,” Jace said, going back to the safe topic of their mutual connection.

Simon laughed. “Not that I eat it anyway if I can avoid it, but she actually does by kosher ingredients when she wants me to try something now. She’s good that way.”

Jace smiled. "Magnus said he was going to teach her the last time she made him try some, and I told him he better be some sort of wizard.”

"Are we sure that he isn't already some kind of wizard?" Simon inquired, looking thoughtful. The older boy who was already a Senior with more attitude and presence than the whole school combined was a little mysterious sometimes.

"He did get Alec to come out finally, so no, not entirely," Jace admitted.

Simon nodded now, although gave a quick apologetic glance that had to do with their last fight. "A feat in itself. Not to mention Alec no longer just glares into the void every minute of his life, and you know, smiles. Yeah, Magnus is definitely some magical being."

"Explains all the flair," Jace agreed.

Simon actually let out a full laugh, as their bread and drinks-- a coke for Simon and his Dr. Pepper-- came to the table.

When the waiter went away and they were left alone again, Simon spoke. "I thought you hated me,” he admitted.

"You hated me first, or so I thought." Jace shrugged as he grabbed the bread and dug in. He couldn’t even remember what their first fight had been about other than it was back in early grade school. Something about whether dinosaurs were cool (Jace had been decidedly against them because they had all died anyway) that had escalated into verbal playground fights. Once they were in middle school it became about music taste, for a brief two weeks it was about Maia Roberts, and then they were put on opposite debate teams (Jace’s mother Maryse had been adamant Jace have more than athletic extracurriculars) and the rivalry was cemented. Or so he thought.

"I don't hate anyone!” Simon replied, before pausing and correcting himself. “Well, actually, Camille and her group maybe.”

Jace nodded. He had barely met Camille other than seeing her at the same parties, although he knew Magnus had dated her for awhile from Alec’s complaints, and hadn’t gotten a good impression of her even before that. Watching carefully to see Simon’s reaction, he said. "Yeah, from what I see and hear she’s a bitch. Doesn’t Raphael Santiago hang out with her?”

"I think the rules say that you're not supposed to discuss your ex on the first date.” Simon retorted.

Date. Simon and him were on a date. He, Jace Lightwood, was on a date with none other than Simon Lewis. The world must be ending.

Jace smirked trying to ignore his brain’s inner monologue, but did offer an apology. "Sorry. I don't generally follow rules."

The brunette shrugged. "I don't have anything to say about him either way. He's the lesser of the three evils."

"Oh?" Jace asked, afraid of where this was going.

"Sebastian." Simon replied, making a face. "He likes-- loves to harass Clary."

Jace suddenly became very interested in his drink, eyebrows furrowing as he asked, "Harass?"

"He comes up, puts an arm around her, tries to get her to move in with him and their sperm donor. Sometimes touches her lower back too firmly and long. Magnus shows up a lot and just pulls her away without a word."

Jace looks up now. "They're blood related?"

"Yeah. Her parents divorced when she was three. They're full blooded siblings, and I think it's a way of hitting on her. It's gross." Simon took bread out of the basket.

Jace cringed even further, putting down his breadstick. "That's disgusting."

"He's disgusting." Simon agreed. "You look a little green. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jace lied, putting Sebastian out of his mind. It wasn't like they had actually done anything anyway, but the idea of it all now, and the pictures... Ughhh.

Simon watched him for a moment, "Sorry if that was weird to bring up."

"It was, but it's not your fault," Jace said, quick to get off the subject. “How's your band doing?”

Simon's eyes lit up at the mention, and he looks a little quizzical-- but happy-- that Jace knew about it. Most likely Izzy hadn’t told him that Jace had gone to his shows before. The first one was just because he wanted to hear how bad Simon was so he could bring it up in a later fight about music tastes. Jace had been pissed that Simon had been really good for a beginning band. The next few were because, however maddening it was, Simon was an excellent musician and Jace knew that Simon was too busy performing to really search the crowd and find him before he left the moment Simon was done. Which was good, because Jace had an embarrassing habit of watching the way Simon’s mouth and hands moved around the mic.

"Really well! By our standards, anyways. We've had three gigs this month."

"That's cool," Jace said supportively, and he meant it. "You still have Maureen on keyboard?" he couldn't help it. The critique slipped into his voice before he could stop it.

"Yeah?" Simon tilted his head, looking even more confused. If he was wondering exactly how Jace knew the members of the band he didn’t say anything yet. "What's wrong with Maureen?"

"Nothing." Jace tried to save himself. "She's fine for a keyboard player."

Clearly from Simon’s frown, he had failed. “What would you know about it?”

“Look, I didn’t mean it like that, I’ve just played piano since I was four,” Jace said, hoping that was a good enough explanation. For extra effort he even added, “I can be hypercritical sometimes, my parents raised us that way.”

Simon nodded, clearly looking past it in the hopes of keeping the date civil now that they had ordered food. "What do you play on the piano?"

"Stuff you'd find boring, probably," Jace said, a little flustered he had even brought it up now. No one other than his siblings even knew he played. "Just classical."

Simon shrugged. "I've been known to enjoy a Beethoven tune or two. Just the mainstream stuff, though, I tend to listen to more modern stuff to influence my music. It's cool that you play the piano, though."

Jace shrugged as well in return. This was veering from safe topics and going into actual conversation that people would ask on a real date. He wasn’t sure if he was okay with that quite yet.

Simon filled the silence when it was clear Jace was fumbling before trying to. “So speaking of little known Jace Lightwood facts… you’re not straight?”

"Oh, yeah, I thought that was implied sorry," Jace offered immediately. He wondered how Simon didn't know, but then he realized that Simon was never at the parties that he was at to begin with. “I’m bi.”

"I figured you had to at least be not straight if they set us up on a date. That would be so awkward..." Simon let out a little laugh.

"Yeah, they're not cruel," Jace nodded. "I've been out at school for awhile, I thought you knew."

“I mean Clary mentioned something about none of the Lightwoods being straight--,” Jace laughed, “--but I wasn’t sure if she was just teasing me or not.”

“Teasing you?” Jace asked.

“Oh.” Simon looked uncomfortable. “I mean she’s always making jokes about everything and we’ve been close for forever so she makes jokes about me a ton too and of course whenever she can bug me like a sister she does, so like, she always teased me about you and I fighting all the time.”

If it was just a little lighter ambience in the restaurant, Jace might have said that Simon was blushing.

“Yeah, I can see her doing that,” Jace said, trying not to think about it too much. Tonight had been nicer than expected and that was freaking him out. Dinner hadn't even come yet and they hadn’t fought once. He should push Simon away for his own good, maybe tell him about Sebastian, but he doesn't yet. He can't. “Anyway, I guess you wouldn’t have been at the parties where it was obvious.”

"And I wouldn't expect you to spend your Tuesday afternoons in the library with me, Clary, and six freshman watching anime."

"Is that really what you do?" Jace asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. The library has this really cool vintage popcorn popper. Clary and I are really close with the youth advisor there, since we've been volunteering once a week since sixth grade.”

"I see," Jace laughed, taking a sip of his drink. Honestly he wasn't surprised.

"....Wow, that sounds really nerdy to admit out loud." Simon blinked, and let out a nervous little chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's definitely incriminating."

"Well at least Clary does it with you, I guess," Jace said, smirking.

"Yeah, but no one would ever suspect it. Have you seen Clary? She's very pretty. But me, you can totally tell that's how I willingly spend a good chunk of my time."

Jace squinted at him. "You're attractive, Simon. Even Izzy says your ‘nerd hot’ and she has very high standards."

Simon’s fork almost fell out of his hand. Jace tried not to blush as he realized that after years of arguments it must have sounded out of place.

"What does nerd hot even mean? Is it the glasses?" But Simon was grinning from ear to ear.

Jace smiled awkwardly, half hating himself, and nodded. "The glasses and the flannel."

“Well I’d tell you that you’re attractive too, but both you and the entire state of New York knows that.”

“Yeah, and other than a football jersey, that’s all I am to them,” Jace commented back. “Especially with the crowd I hang out in. At least you're hot and somehow don't know it. I've seen you in swim in P.E., you know. You have abs."

Abs that Jace may or may not have thought about while arguing with Simon before.

Simon’s cheeks were dark enough pink now that even the lighting couldn’t hide it and Jace was even more put off balance. This wasn't going like his other dates in the past had. In the past they'd compliment him and he'd just play along and let it go to his head but for some reason he didn't want to be that guy with Simon.

The rest of their date went about as well as you'd expect once their food arrived and Jace didn’t talk much through scarfing everything down-- although Simon managed to coax a couple laughs from Jace. Their bill was put on Magnus' tab, and Simon got up. "Do you want to take a walk?"

Jace felt both a tug of surprise and nervousness at the question that he wasn't used to and wasn't sure he liked, but he went ahead and agreed. "Yeah, sure."

Simon followed Jace out of the restaurant, and then they fell into step down the sidewalk. "Are you okay?”

"Are you?" Jace returned stupidly, a little like a five year old. Still there was some merit to it. Jace Lightwood should not be more nervous on a goddamn walk than Simon Lewis of all people.

Simon stuffed his hands in his pockets. "If you didn't want to come on a walk you didn't have to."

Manning up as it were, and taking in a breath, Jace admitted, "I wanted to come on the walk, Simon."

Simon nodded. "Okay." He nudged his shoulder.

Jace bit his lip. He'd known Simon distantly for a long time, fought with him for all of that time, and it was going to be absolute hell living with Izzy and Alec now that he can’t hide the fact he actually has a fucking crush on the hot nerd.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like always, please review!! I do see them and they do help so much!


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec, Magnus, Jace, and Simon talk about the date aftermath, and it inadvertently leads to Alec promising Magnus something.

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Alec was waiting in the living area when Jace got home from his date, having talked to Magnus about how his boyfriend’s father had been upset to have an almost $200 restaurant bill on his card tonight. Alec had apologized profusely, promising to tell Jace off, but Magnus had given a quick laugh and told him that upsetting his father was actually on his list of things to do. Knowing Magnus, it was probably part of his plan all along.

 

Now Izzy was sitting with him and she was the first one to stop Jace from ignoring them and going directly down the hall as she asked, “How was it?”

 

“You’re both terrible,” Jace told them, but both Alec and Izzy jumped from the couch before their brother could bolt to his room. “I’m disowning you.”

 

“It couldn’t have been that bad.” Izzy rolled her eyes with a smile.

 

Jace turned around with tightly folded arms and a glare that didn’t look quite as fierce as Alec was sure he wanted it to. “Why him?”

 

“Because you like each other,” their sister said slowly and emphatically, as if she was explaining the same thing to Max. Alec smirked.

 

Now Jace’s angry expression did seem to convey whatever he’s thinking, but before Izzy can say something else or Alec can jump in he turned around and walked down the hallway away from them. Izzy gives a pointed look to Alec, clear that she wants him to go after Jace and get more information, and Alec thinks that between his sister and his boyfriend his life is becoming way too tiring. Fighting Jace over talking about feelings just isn’t what he wants to do tonight as much as he does love his stubborn brother. Still, he knows better than to ignore Izzy before sleep and so he huffs and goes to Jace’s room, entering without knocking.

 

Jace looks around from pulling a shirt out of his dresser, looking just as annoyed as he was before he left. “Tell your boyfriend thanks for the free meal.”

 

It was Alec’s turn to glare. “You cost Magnus’ father $200. Don’t tell me it was Simon who decided to rack up the bill like that.”

 

Picking up his wallet from atop the dresser, Jace pulls out some money and throws it at Alec. A better man would have told Jace that Magnus didn’t actually care or want it, but he decided if his brother was going to put them both through this much misery Alec could keep the money and use it for his own dates with Magnus.

 

Sighing, Alec sat on the bed and asked, “Did it not go well?”

 

Jace closed his wallet and took more time than necessary to put it back on the dresser before finally grumbling, “The date went fine.”

 

Alec is only a little surprised. “Then why are you being so moody?”

 

His brother glared again before sitting down on the bed as well and giving a characteristic huff. “Because I don’t want to like him Alec. We’re completely different people, and besides that I have school and you know how our parents are.”

 

“Those are bullshit reasons not to like someone, Jace.” Alec told him, but it didn’t escape him that there were some glaring similarities to his argument with Izzy last year over liking Magnus.

 

Jace wasn’t fooled either. “Says you. How long did you avoid Magnus?”

 

“At least I didn’t argue with him all the time to make myself feel better,” Alec shot back defensively. Going back to giving advice, he said, “And what good did that do me anyway?”

 

“You avoided our parent’s disappointment for a while,” Jace pointed out, but he sighed in defeat. Finally the pretense and bad mood went away, and he admitted, “I don’t know, Alec, there’s just so many ways it can go completely wrong.”

 

“So you’d rather hate each other so you don’t end up hating each other?” Alec asked directly. Jace paused. Alec added, “Don’t be an asshole like I was because you don’t want to deal with anything.”

 

Jace gave a sideways grin at that. “What do I even have to deal with?”

 

“Simon.” Alec said, both of them glossing over the fact that Jace had a lot more to deal with than school, football, and dating. He knew his brother wasn’t ready to talk about the more serious stuff.

 

“We’ll see how it goes.” Jace shrugged casually. Before Alec got up all the way to leave, he added, “Thank you, Alec.”

 

Alec nodded, briefly giving Jace’s back a supportive pat, and stood. As infuriating as it could be to get Jace to open up sometimes, it was always worth it. In that way they were a lot alike. Izzy blamed their parents.

 

* * *

 

Simon was glad he had put his phone on silent, because once he pulled it out as he sat in his van after the date he saw that he had over ten texts just from Clary alone.

 

 

 

Laughing at the progress of the texts that his best friend had sent almost minute-to-minute, he decided to call Clary before he pulled out of the parking lot. (Valet service still freaked him out.)

 

“Have you considered getting your own love life, Fray?” he asked with amusement before she could interrupt upon answering the phone.

 

“That date went awfully long for people who hate each other and you don’t sound upset,” she practically cheered, ignoring his comment.

 

“We didn’t kill each other,” Simon agreed as vaguely as possible. “And to answer your question, no I didn’t wear flannel, and no we didn’t kiss on the first date. I’m too classy for that.”

 

Clary laughed. “What did you talk about?”

 

“Izzy, Magnus, my band, who exactly is Rey’s father-- oh and he brought up Raphael, which was weird.”

 

“He wanted to see if you were over him!” Clary exclaimed. “I told you he always looked jealous!”

 

“It’s probably just because he knows him through Izzy,” Simon argued, shaking his head. He wanted to be hopeful, but he would have to be downright naive to think this one blind date would lead to anything.

 

“I doubt it,” she said, although now it was her that sounded jealous.

 

Simon smiled, but decided to leave the argument about who belonged with who alone for tonight. “Well either way, it happened and it’s over so we can all move on.”

 

“Move on?” Clary demanded. “You have to ask him out again, Simon!”

 

Disbelieving and a little confused why Clary would even suggest it, Simon fumbled. “No way! This only worked because other people wanted it to, you really want _me_ to ask _Jace Lightwood_ out? If he didn’t laugh in my face immediately he’d probably accuse me of having a crush on him!”

 

“You do have a crush on him,” Clary pointed out unhelpfully.

 

“Yes, but _he_ doesn’t know that,” Simon huffed. “There’s no way I’m asking him out, Clary. If Mr. Quarterback wants another date-- and I _highly_ doubt it-- he can ask me himself.”

 

Clary groaned.

 

* * *

 

 

“You performed a miracle, you know,” Alec told Magnus as they studied in Magnus’ room that Sunday. They hadn’t done much work until they finally separated themselves with Magnus lounging on his bed and Alec across the room at his desk. It was nowhere as comfortable as cuddling with Magnus and definitely nowhere near as soft, but it was productive and as a Junior getting ready for his SAT’s, Alec needed to focus as much as possible this school year. And yet even though they were plenty feet apart he still couldn’t help but steal his boyfriend’s attention and talk to him.

 

Magnus looked up expectantly with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Alec explained, “Jace said the date went well.”

 

He smiled in response, pausing with his pen in hand. “Yes, well, I told the waiter I’d leave a good review if they ran interference. The poor man said it was a very rocky beginning but by the end they looked ‘friendly’, which I believe is heterosexual speak for ‘in love’.”

 

Alec couldn’t help but laugh at that.

 

“The problem,” Magnus continued, “Is that I don’t know how they’ll get over themselves and go on a second date. Clary tells me Simon has no intention of asking out Jace, and we all know how stubborn your dear brother is.”

 

“Magnus, no.” He said, hand raised to ward off any more ideas. “You did enough.”

 

“Your lack of enthusiasm is noted,” he sighed, looking off thoughtfully after. “I suppose we could let your sister and Clary take over from here. They’re closely connected to the lovebirds anyway, and maybe it’ll finally get them together as well.”

 

Looking up as he made a face, he replied, “My sister doesn’t like Clary like that.”

 

The expression followed by deep laughter that Magnus gives doesn’t amuse him entirely. His boyfriend is now shaking his head as he smiles fondly, only to say, “Alexander, you can’t possibly dislike Clary enough not to see it.”

 

“They’re friends!” Alec exclaimed defensively, but okay maybe he might have sensed something a few times but he always wrote it off as teenage girl behavior. He wouldn’t really have been surprised if Clary had a crush on Izzy, she had always seemed a little shallow when it came to stuff like that, but Izzy? Izzy was always flirting, never giving her heart away, laughing when anyone asked if she was dating someone. Alec had only ever seen her fall once, and that was for Raphael Santiago. They had come close to dating but after one fight Raphael had bailed and left her for none other than Simon Lewis, which also ended badly.

 

Magnus snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s what they think the other one believes. You really should improve your gaydar.”

 

Alec rolled his eyes. “That’s my baby sister. Mom and Dad already hate the fact that I’m not straight, if Jace gets together with Simon and Izzy gets with Clary they’ll combust.”

 

No longer looking happy or amused, Magnus frowns and moves from the headboard to the part of the bed that’s closest to Alec, then able to reach and hold his hand. “How have things been with them?”

 

“Well mom no longer leaves the room without speaking when I say I’m going to your house, but other than that it hasn’t gotten any better,” he sighed.

 

Magnus’ expression deepens into a mixture of sadness and anger, but he lifts Alec’s hand intertwined with his and kisses it. The movement is extremely endearing, and Alec is sorely tempted to leave the chair and the conversation to pin his boyfriend to the bed and start kissing. Before he can do so, Magnus says, “For what it’s worth, you can always stay here, Alexander. My father’s rarely here and from what I’ve gathered over the years his utter lack of morals don’t include homophobia.”

 

“Until I’m eighteen they’d be able to pull me back with one phone call to the police,” Alec argued. “Thank you though, really. It means a lot.”

 

“I suppose we should take things slower anyway,” Magnus sighed. “Moving in is so much more daunting than you being my date to the Homecoming dance.”

 

Knowing exactly how and why Magnus spun that around into the conversation he’d been dreading, Alec tried not to squirm. High school dances just weren’t his thing, they never had been. He’d gone to one his freshman year with Lydia Branwell-- their parents had set it up, which was mortifying-- and he had never gone to another since. He had gone with Jace to the after parties plenty of times, usually to sit in the back and judge people with Maia Roberts and Aline, but those weren’t full of corny themes and forced slow-dances.

 

“Magnus, it’s going to be the day after the Homecoming game and I’ll probably be exhausted and bruised. Aren’t you tired of these things already?”

 

“If you had asked me that last year, when I wasn’t dating the sexy, dashing, perfect Captain of the football team, I would have said yes,” Magnus told him with a smile. Alec tried to fight the urge to join in, but it was futile. “But now I have you and it’s my last year of high school and I’m getting soft.”

 

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Alec replied, but he was practically grinning despite himself. When Magnus simply gave him a dazzling smirk, Alec laughed. “Dammit, Magnus. Fine, I’ll go to this stupid dance with you.”

 

He knew he’d lost the argument before it even begun and he wasn’t even that upset as his boyfriend laughed and kissed him in response.

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review! (also jimon is real ;) thanks dom)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lightwood siblings support and care for each other with a little help from some friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just before you guys start, there is some homophobia in this chapter. Not anything blatantly evil, just Robert/Maryse not understanding and berating their kids about it. I promise I'll write them coming to terms with everything just like the show is, and this is the only chapter where it will be confrontational like this. I wanted to mirror some of Alec's struggle in the show because I think it makes him kind of the way he is and it also set the tone for Jace and Izzy coming out and why they waited so long in later chapters as well. Anyway, like I said, it'll be better from here on out!

* * *

 

The Lightwood parents had given the family plenty of rules over the years, somehow becoming more strict as their children grew older and not lenient. For the most part Jace didn’t mind them, a lot of them didn’t affect him and his work (and lack of real social life). The one that was impossible to like more and more, however, was the mandatory family dinner they had to have at least once a week. With Maryse and Robert often busy with work and Alec, Izzy, and Jace busy with extracurricular activities (leaving Max busy with after-school programs), they didn’t sit down as a family together often anymore. Izzy often commented that this was good for survival.

 

“And no, I don’t have a boyfriend,” his sister snapped at their mother, having just finished listing all the accomplishments she’d achieved their first two weeks of being back at school. Izzy was captain of the STEM club already as a Sophomore, blowing out the older competition for the gig. While science stuff like that wasn’t Jace’s thing he was more than proud of her, and couldn’t help but feel upset when their mom tried to convince her the cheer-leading team would still take her as well.

 

“Izzy would be a terrible cheerleader,” he disagreed when Maryse was waiting for Izzy to stop ignoring her every word on the subject. Izzy flashed a grin at him and Alec smirked. “The second she walked on the field the guys wouldn’t pay attention to where they need to run, it’d be a disaster. Izzy’s doing Alec and I a huge favor by sticking to the nerdy stuff, I promise.”

 

Alec chuckled, knowing just as well as Jace did how many team members they’d had to threaten to never talk about their sister again, and added, “Can you even dance, Iz? You’d probably fall over.”

 

“Not even a little,” Izzy lied, the giggle underneath her words threatening to burst.

 

“Isabelle took gymnastics for ten years, Alec.” Maryse huffed, clearly knowing what they were doing and that it was already a losing battle. “I’m not trying to push popularity on you, Isabelle, it would simply be beneficial for you to have athletic activities on her transcript as well as the educational.”

 

“Then you’ll be fine with me playing basketball?” Izzy asked innocently, and Jace coughed into his glass of juice. Alec’s eyebrows raised as his lips curled ever so slightly into a smirk that he tried to hide. The girl’s basketball team at their high school was notably one of the best in the state but also known for only having one token straight girl. “There’s a lot more I can do with that sport anyway. I mean, since you keep telling me I need more girl friends.”

 

Jace thinks there might be tears of laughter in his eyes if he doesn’t manage to keep his cool. His brother Alec is holding his fork so tightly his knuckles have turned white and is ducking his head carefully. Max, who obviously doesn’t know the entirety of the situation but is watching both his brothers intently looks seconds from asking what’s so funny. Before he can, their father Robert cuts across with a sigh and asks Alec, “What about you, Alec? How’s your life?”

 

“It’s fine,” Alec responds shortly, and it’s eery how all of the amusement and humor evaporates out of the room immediately. “The team is getting ready for the Homecoming game and I’ve began studying harder for the SAT’s.”

 

Izzy glances at Jace, who nods imperceptibly in agreement. Any interference needed in the next few seconds is going to have to come from one of them. They’ve been through these their entire life and with Alec now out and dating Magnus it’s only becoming more of a tricky battle every time. They’re still not entirely prepared for the way their father ignorantly asks, “Do you have a girlfriend yet?”

 

Max’s eyebrows furrow. Their little brother, sweet and smart, clearly knows their parents feelings on the subject but still seems confused why their dad is being mean. “He’s dating Magnus, dad.”

 

Robert’s lips purse, clearly not wanting to get into the fight in front of Max, and the older siblings all send Max a grateful, loving look. Their mother is playing with her napkin silently for a moment, but she ends up jumping in anyway, “Alec, your father isn’t trying to hurt you. We just want you to be happy and in this world there isn’t a lot of understanding for this sort of thing.”

 

“There’s plenty of understanding,” Alec snapped back angrily. “You just wouldn’t have seen it being that  _ your _ world of people are entirely homophobic.”

 

“Why put yourself through this for some boy?” Their father asked, stepping in to defend his wife. The difficult aspect to deal with was that there wasn’t any anger in his voice, just pure unadulterated bigotry and confusion. “I get that kids your age go through phases like this--,”

 

“Calling seventeen years of being gay a phase is ludicrous,” Alec retorted edgily. “I don’t expect you to understand who I am anymore, but dragging everything out like this in front of Max isn’t right.”

 

“What isn’t right is that there’s anything my children do that can’t be talked about in front of the youngest!”

 

“And what about you?” Izzy chimed in angrily. Their father went white and if it weren’t for the current situation Jace would demand to know exactly what Izzy had on him. “Leave Alec alone.”

 

“Isabelle, this is between your father and Alec--,”

 

“No, it’s not,” Jace spat, loudly enough that everyone turned to him. Alec gave him a warning look that he didn’t pay attention to. His stomach was churning awfully fast and his shoulders felt both tense and weak at the same time but he forced himself to work through it like it was just another football play in front of hundreds. “If you or Dad have a problem with Alec being gay it’s my problem too. Ignoring the fact that he’s my brother and I actually accept him like family is supposed to, I’m not straight either. Congrats on raising two sons who like boys.”

 

“You know you’re adopted,” their mom breathed out.

 

The room fell silent and Jace wished more than anything that his eyes weren’t suddenly wet. In the horrible moment before he could work through the paralyzing hurt he could hear Izzy viciously threaten their mother to apologize, he could hear Alec sarcastically congratulate their parents on upsetting the one child who was old enough to know better but still valued their opinion. He could even see the way Max was looking at him with shock. By the time he could breathe again he had already left the house without realizing it, was already down the road when Alec caught up to him and grabbed him by the shoulder.

 

“ _ Jace _ ,” Alec said when he didn’t look up or say anything in response to the pull. His brother clearly saw the wet track of tears and the empty expression because in less than a second he was shoved tightly against his brother’s firm chest, strong arms keeping him from leaving. “Jace you idiot, you didn’t have to come out like that just to protect me. You didn’t. I was fine taking the hits, okay? I love you. I’m your big brother for fucks sake.”

 

Against his will, he ends up crying at the words and Alec quietly hushes him as his hug deepens. At some point Izzy ends up hugging him from behind as well. When they finally all pull apart she’s the one who swats his hand away so she can wipe his tears for him and look him in the eyes as she says, “That was really brave of you, Jace. I’m sorry they’re-- well, I’m sorry they’re  _ them _ . But you’re more family to me than they are half the time, okay? You always have been.”

 

“When did you find out?” Jace asks her, his voice not completely even. “That I was adopted. When did you know?”

 

“I know all the family secrets, dear brother,” she said with a small attempt of a smile. “But I found your adoption certificate about a year ago when I started getting suspicious about why mom didn’t want you getting a driver’s license.”

 

It was more or less how Jace had found out too. After months of their mom being more and more weird about the license she had given in and finally when they were at the DMV he had seen the paperwork his “mom” had handed over to the employee. They had a long talk afterward, his driver's license with a very broody photo in hand, and she had asked him not to look into his biological parents out of respect for the family he had now. He had lasted two weeks. 

 

“What do you have on dad?” Alec asked curiously when Jace didn't immediately reply.

 

“He’s been cheating on mom for over a year,” Izzy sighed, looking uncomfortable at the varying degrees of shock on both her brothers’ faces. “Some secretary’s assistant girl only a few years older than Alec at his law firm.”

 

“Why don't you tell mom?”

 

“Because she wouldn't believe me at first, she'd think I was just trying to hurt her,” Izzy answered quietly. Jace wanted to say that his sister was wrong, that it would be different, but after tonight he wasn’t sure. “And then after she realized it was true she'd resent me for telling her and knowing at all. Not to mention I don't want to have Max suffer through their divorce.”

 

Jace and Alec watch each other with awkwardness and pain at the thought. Surely they were all thinking it-- what it would be like if the elder Lightwoods split. Who would keep the house, or would they all move? Who would Max be stuck with and who would they choose? There was no way Alec wouldn't pick their mother. Even after the way dinner had ended Jace would also still pick her in the end. But Izzy, the one who had been constantly berated and belittled? Even in light of an affair Izzy would still probably lean toward their father.

 

“I'll be back with the car in a minute,” Izzy said after checking her phone. “We're going out tonight and not coming back. Maybe then they'll realize they can't just treat us like that.”

 

“ _ Where _ are we going?” Jace asked the same time that Alec said, “You are  _ not  _ driving, and don't you dare touch my car.”

 

She grinned and Alec ran after her. Not that much longer his siblings drove back to where Jace was standing on the sidewalk in Alec's dark blue sedan, and smiling he got into the passenger seat. Alec was still arguing with Izzy from behind the steering wheel. “Well maybe mom and dad would get you your own car if you drove better than you cook.”

 

“Jace drives just as bad as I do and they gave him one!” Izzy argued.

 

Alec rolled his eyes. “Jace drives recklessly on purpose. You don't realize you're doing it. Just give it a few more months of practice.”

 

“How exactly am I supposed to get practice if you won't let me drive?”

 

“Use Jace’s car,” Alec told her simply. Jace lightly punched his brother's arm and got a grin in response. “Now are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

 

Izzy gave him the address to put into the GPS and Alec turned in his seat to ask her, “ _ Why _ are we going to Brooklyn? I thought you were talking about some hotel like that one time or Magnus’ place.”

 

The hotel experience was one of Jace's favorite memories. After Alec had first come out in a blaze of glory the three of them had escaped the house and found one of the ritziest hotels to book a room at on their parent's credit card. They had ordered amazing food, watched movies, and even broke into the pool at night. The highlight of the night had still been watching his big brother-- captain of the football team-- get so nervous that he stuttered as he invited Magnus to join them on the phone. More than anything in the world watching Alec finally let himself care enough about someone to let go like that had been memorable. 

 

Izzy looked to Jace. “Do you want to do the hotel tradition since you came out or just have family time because of the other stuff?”

 

“Family stuff,” Jace said, and Izzy smiled warmly before sticking her tongue out at Alec. 

 

“Just trust me big brother.”

 

And Alec did, as did Jace, but when they ended up on the door of someone's loft only to have what Jace was pretty sure was Clary Fray's police step father answer the door they both looked at her with confusion. Izzy ignored them and instead grinned. “Hey Luke, thanks so much for having us!”

 

“Of course!” he exclaimed, looking so welcoming and happy that Jace was almost put off. “Come on in you three, Clary's just helping her mom finish up with dinner. Luckily we thought Simon was coming over so we made plenty.”

 

Jace's eyes cut over to Izzy quickly, half forming a glare. He went ignored. A glance to Alec showed that his brother seemed to think it was amusing. His siblings were going to be the death of him someday. “ _ What _ are we doing?”

 

“Playing pretend for the night,” Izzy whispered back. “And hanging out with a real family.”

 

Before Jace could argue Luke was introducing himself to him and Alec, and then they were further inside saying hello to Clary and her mom as well. The entire vibe of family dinner here was night and day different, enough that Jace was almost surprised to see that the entire family was smiling the whole time. Jace had thought Alec would end up leaving within a minute but instead Alec started happily telling Luke that back in Clary and Jace’s Kindergarten class Luke's career day show had made Jace want to be a cop for a month. No matter how hard Jace steps on Alec's toes underneath the table. Everyone but him is laughing easily and Jace is trying not to be too annoyed as Alec continues, “Seriously, he carried one of those fake badges around for weeks and anytime Izzy or I did something wrong he'd go and tell our mom that we were under arrest.”

 

“That's adorable,” Clary laughed, winking at Jace.

 

“I was six,” Jace huffed. “Or do I need to tell your parents about the time you asked me to marry you so that you could be sisters with Izzy?”

 

Clary’s cheeks turned a rather violent shade of pink, and both Luke and Jocelyn laughed even more (while Jocelyn softly touched her daughter's hand). Alec was grinning and Izzy smiled at Clary only to say, “Well there's no other reason to marry Jace is there?”

 

His sister gave him a wink as she said it and then turned her attention back to Clary and rather suddenly Jace saw what was going on. Clary Fray was Izzy's version of safety and family. Clary, despite whatever humongous dorky slightly amusing crush she'd always had on his sister, had managed to make Izzy fall for her and she didn't even know it. And Izzy, smartest girl in their year by a very long shot, still didn't realize that Clary had always liked her but still wanted to share this with her brothers. It seemed to him like Izzy's subconscious saying  _ me too. You both love other genders and I do too. _

 

He found himself relaxing, listening as Alec shot jokes back and forth with Luke while Jocelyn talked to the girls. Every now and then Jace would occasionally jump in but he was very invested in the chicken cacciatore that Jocelyn had made them, at least until Jocelyn told him, “I'm glad you like the food! It's Simon's favorite meal too.”

 

Jace choked a little as Clary couldn't quite hold a laugh back and both his siblings had far too obvious smirks. Luckily it didn't look like Mrs. Fray had realized the connection between him and Simon when she spoke. Unluckily, it seemed like Luke now seemed to. “So, Jace, how do you know Simon?”

 

“Luke, leave him alone,” Jocelyn hushed her husband. “You know they go to the same school.”

 

Jace felt a wave of appreciation for Clary's mom, but Luke wasn't having it. The adult tilted his head for a moment before some look of comprehension dawned on him and he asked, “Wait,  _ Jace _ ? As in  _ the  _ Jace?”

 

“Dad!” Clary exclaimed through a smile. “Simon's going to kill you, be quiet!”

 

“Okay, okay!” Luke laughed, his hands up in surrender. “Forget I said anything.”

 

Both Alec and Izzy were sending Jace extremely pointed looks and he knew he was never ever going to live this down the second they were on the way home. In fact  Alec grinned as he pushed his fork around his plate and Jace could sense the mischief boiling even before Alec asked, “So just to be a polite guest, how have you heard about my brother exactly? Since you can't tell  _ him _ , of course. I mean  _ I  _ have heard about Simon way more than I ever wanted to because Jace couldn't stop fighting and flirting with him but--,”

 

“I swear to God, Alec,” Jace grumbled, feeling himself start to blush. Izzy giggled and Clary raised her eyebrows with a grin.

 

“Well the most recent time was about how a date went,” Luke replied, an even larger grin on his face.

 

“You were  _ not _ supposed to be listening to that!” Clary exclaimed with betrayal. “If Simon doesn't kill you,  _ I'm _ going to.”

 

“Hey, it's not my fault you were squealing!” Luke defended himself, leaving Jace wondering exactly what Simon had told Clary that had her squealing. “And Simon's like a son to me, I always want to know how he's doing.”

 

Clary rolled her eyes with a big puff of air and Jocelyn gave Luke a very loving but clearly warning look. Changing the conversation before anything else could happen, Clary's mom asked Izzy about her STEM project this semester and Luke made some biology pun that Jace couldn't help but grudgingly laugh at. 

 

So this was what parents were supposed to be like, this was how family was supposed to make you feel. Warm, welcome, happy, even if embarrassed sometime. Nothing about Clary said she was genuinely afraid of what her parents might say or worried how they'd react about her feelings for Izzy. And the way that they just opened everything right up for their daughter's friends was stunning and beautiful. Jace hadn't seen anything like it before, and he was achingly jealous. For not the first time, he wished his parents could be this free and happy.

 

After dinner they're watching a horror movie, or at least pretending to. Jace is sitting close to the corner, trying to ignore the fact that there are pictures of Clary’s family everywhere and more than half of them include Simon. Alec is only half paying attention to everything, texting back and forth with Magnus. Luke is making running commentary about the character's horrible decisions and Jocelyn is trying to get him to stop by throwing popcorn at his face from across the room like romantic teenagers. Clary’s sitting by her dad on the couch but is ending up more and more in Izzy's lap as she dodges the popcorn meant for Luke with a grin. There's a moment where Izzy pulls Clary on her lap so Clary’s safe from the popcorn war-- Luke had taken to gathering the kernels thrown at him and launching them back at Jocelyn-- that Izzy finally looks something other than content since they've arrived. Her dark brown eyes look alive and electric with happiness but her mouth is pressed ever so lightly with worry, as if the arms she holds around the redhead are going to condemn her. She catches Jace watching them, and even though he gives her a smile, she lets go of her grip some. A small part of him aches for her.

 

Jace slips out of the room and walks further down the hall in the guise of looking for the restroom. He doesn't make it that far before he's sitting on the hardwood floor trying not to let a million emotions crush him.

 

Luke finds him a few minutes later. “Ah man, the floor is such a good friend isn’t it? It always holds me up when I’m down too.”

 

“I have never heard a joke less funny,” Jace told Luke, but the problem with it was that it was so terrible it had become a joke in itself. Consequently Jace smiled despite everything.

 

“Stick around, kid, I’m a factory,” Luke replied with a grin. “The more you come over the more you’ll hear.”

 

“I’m not- I’m not actually dating Simon. Or Clary,” he added for good measure.

 

“You don’t have to be dating them to come around. And if you  _ were  _ dating my daughter we’d be having a much different talk. Clary’s been in love with the same girl for years.” Luke pauses looking rather guilty as he realized that probably wasn't public information. Jace decided to file that away for later. “But I didn’t say that.”

 

“When you say she’s your daughter--,”

 

“I know, you can tell I’m not her biological dad, can’t you? It’s the dancing that gives it away. I keep telling her she has to learn how to dance.”

 

Jace laughs. “No, that’s not what I meant. I didn’t mean to be rude, I just-- do you love her like you would your own kids?”

 

“She is my own kid, Jace,” Luke said firmly. “Whatever you’re going through your parents do love you.”

 

“That lie doesn't work at my age,” Jace said in turn, shaking his head. “Parents don't always love their kids. Especially the adopted bisexual ones.”

 

Luke's serious expression deepened into a frown, and he moved from standing over Jace to crouching on his feet across from him. “Why would they adopt you if they didn't plan on loving you, Jace? Look, I understand parents are crappy more than most with my job but I promise with kids as good as you and your siblings there isn't any way that they wouldn't feel horrible for making you feel like they don't care. I promise. The ignorance, however, that will take time and patience to work through but I'm guessing they love you more than their bigotry. My parents did for me and my sister.”

 

Jace smiled briefly, emotion stuck inside his throat. Luke reached out and gave his shoulder a brief supportive squeeze, and then stood up. When he offered Jace a hand up, he took it. 

 

“Now, you look like you might be okay with a weapon,” Luke said, sizing him up. “If we're quiet enough I bet we can sneak the super soakers I keep in the spare room out and attack, what do you think?”

 

“I'm all for battle,” Jace laughed.

 

It turned out that neither Clary nor Jocelyn were innocent victims. The second Luke hit Jocelyn in the face with a long stream of cold hard water Clary screamed and ran at them (Jace soaked her twice) and barreled for her room where she came back out with an even larger water gun than Luke had.

 

“When did you get that!?” Luke yelled at her. Clary's red hair was practically brunette with how dripping wet it was but all she did was grin and shoot at him. Jocelyn had retrieved some more guns from what seemed like nowhere and only minutes later both Izzy and Alec were also armed.

 

“You didn't tell me I was picking the losing side!” Jace laughed at Luke, as they quickly started losing the water war, outnumbered.

 

“It's my fault for thinking you were a better warrior!” Luke shot back. “Alec! Alec, come on, join us!”

 

The entire wood floor was soon sopping wet, and everyone was laughing almost more than they were even shooting water. Clary and Izzy were huddled up together under the dinner table, guns out. Jocelyn was ducking behind the couch and laughing hysterically every time Luke did an extravagant policeman duck and roll just to shoot her. (She ended up shooting him more than Luke even shot her, which Jace thought was funny considering their professions). Alec was reloading his gun off in the bathroom now after having consistently pelted Clary every second she wasn't looking, and Jace was left standing by the door in case anyone tried to escape. He jumped when instead the doorbell rang.

 

Luke and Jocelyn gave each other the sort of looks like they knew they were in trouble-- maybe one of the land lords from downstairs or a neighbor upset at the multitude of screams-- and Luke nodded at Jace to open the door.

 

It's not a landlord. It's Simon Lewis. Simon, who is staring at Jace like he's sprung three heads, and who even double checks the number outside of the door as he asks, “What are  _ you  _ doing answering Clary's door?”

 

Jace thinks about answering, but before a proper explanation even comes to mind he uses the water gun to squirt Simon in the face instead. Simon stands there and blinks through the water and the distant laughs of everyone in the house, not even wiping his face as Jace pulls him into the house with a roll of his eyes and shuts the door.

 

“Hey, Simon,” Clary's mom greets him with a small laugh, peeking out from the couch. Luke is mysteriously gone. “There's some chicken cacciatore wrapped up in the fridge for you.”

 

“Okay, thanks Mrs. Fray,” Simon replies politely, still looking lost as he faces Jace. Something seems to click for him when he catches sight of Alec coming back from the other room with a full water gun and spots Izzy with Clary in the distance. “Is the fight over, or…?”

 

“Now it is!”

 

Luke had sprung out of what seemed like nowhere with a bucket full of water and Jace watched with glee as Simon didn't even have time to protest having a few gallons of water dumped on him. Glaring, and looking a little like a very cute drowned puppy, Simon told Luke, “If you think I'm going to forget about this anytime soon, you're wrong. Payback is not a kind mistress.”

 

"Don't you dare act like you didn't prank me last, Simon Lewis," Luke replied with a grin. "Clary told me exactly where those fake spiders came from." Simon grinned mischievously.

 

Jocelyn had gotten up from the floor completely now, walking over with a smile. “Don't worry, Simon, I'll get you a towel before they're all gone.”

 

Simon told her thank you, pushing Luke with a light shove that only made the adult laugh, and Jace felt completely out of place. This was Clary's home, sure, but part of Simon's life that he suddenly felt like an intruder on. He was about to Alec that they should go now when Simon asked him, “Did you like the food? Mrs. Fray is the best cook I know besides my Bubbie.”

 

“Yeah, it was great,” Jace said, trying not to feel too awkward about the fact this was the first time seeing Simon post-date. “Sorry I didn't mean to be here--,”

 

“Clary said she was having people over and it's not like it's my house,” Simon shrugged, looking a little amused. “You don't have to apologize. I'm a little offended Luke let you use _ my gun _ , but that's not your fault.”

 

It was clear Simon was joking, but luckily Jace didn't have to come up with more awkward tries at conversation before Luke shot out from the hall cabinet, “He didn't use it well, Simon, your place on my team is secure!”

 

Jace laughed at that, defending himself to Luke. “This was my first water fight!”

 

“Even if it wasn't, I'm a pro,” Simon told him easily, that goofy little smirk on his face now. “You'd never live up to my fame, Mr. Quarterback.”

 

“Oh yeah?” Jace asked with a smile, feeling a challenge coming on. He couldn't help it, the second he laid eyes on Simon every part of him is entrenched in wanting to impress-- no,  _ compete _ . Compete is the word he was looking for. Just because they had gone on  _ one _ date that hadn't even been set up by themselves didn't mean he was going to admit some crush.

 

“No chance,” Simon reaffirmed, and it wasn't until he saw the way that Jocelyn was watching them with an amused expression as she came back with towels that Jace realized he was being flirted with and not made fun of. “I've grown into this sport. You've merely dabbled.”

 

“Hey now, I could say that about your keyboard player too,” Jace replied, a little annoyed that there wasn't any edge in his own voice. As much as he had kind of wanted to be an ass to bring things back to normal it had come out kindly enough.

 

“You play piano?” Jocelyn asked him, passing out the towels as Luke starts laying more down on the floor. They have way too many towels for three people, Jace thinks, but then when he remembers how quickly everyone broke out water guns he decides that's probably a good thing.

 

“He plays beautifully,” Izzy chimed in, sounding a little proud. Her normally curly hair was starting to create a new life of it's own after sitting in the air wet for so long. “Mom thinks he should try out for Julliard but he wants to do the whole football thing.”

 

Jace sent his sister a look before smiling through gritted teeth. “I'm not that good.”

 

“Yes, he is,” Alec said, rolling his eyes as he finished drying his hair with the towel he had grabbed from Clary’s mom. “His teacher sent out one of his tapes and got a letter back just a few months ago.”

 

“I didn't know you were capable of being that good at something and not bragging,” Simon said, a small laugh escaping him. “That's really great, Jace, you should go for it. I'm super jealous.”

 

“You’re the better musician,” Jace told Simon, tense. “Go for it yourself, you’ll get it.”

 

Not sure whether it was the fact that Simon’s brown eyes were watching him with something akin to fondness now that Jace had actually complimented him in public or whether it was the fact that everyone else in the room was watching Simon look at him that way, he gets even more antsy when Simon doesn’t immediately retort. When it’s clear that Simon’s at a loss for words he looks up at Alec who is giving him a rather judging stare but will probably agree to leave just the same.

 

“That’s ‘Jace’ for ‘I really like you and want to ask you to the Homecoming after-party but I’m a chicken’,” Izzy cut in. 

 

Jace turned to stare at her, torn between embarrassment and a headache. A quick glance at Simon’s surprised face made him even more annoyed.

 

“And that’s ‘Simon’ for ‘I would love to, Jace, thanks for asking me out again like I wanted you to.’” Clary chimed in, and now it was Simon’s turn to glare.

 

Both girls were smirking at them, looking on the verge of giggles, and even Alec looked begrudgingly amused.

 

“Well this is ‘Luke’ for let’s leave them alone,” Clary’s father said, sounding on the verge of laughter as he shepherded the girls out of the room. Her mother laughed along, following out of the room and telling her daughter and Izzy, “This is ‘Jocelyn’ for I agree. I can’t believe you’d do that to your best friend, Clary.”

 

Jace barely heard Clary’s response of, “Oh, come on Mom--,” trail off as they went further down the hall. Alec gives Jace a look before following after them.

 

“You totally don’t have to ask me to the party because of your sister,” Simon quickly supplied. “I have a sister on top of Clary and believe me, I get how they can be.”

 

“I don’t have to ask,” Jace agreed. Simon’s expression became unreadable. “But it’s not a bad idea. Coming over to Clary’s was Izzy’s thing but I did actually end up wanting to see you.”

 

“You did?” Simon asked, looking surprised.

 

Jace nodded uncomfortably. “Obviously just so I could hear Luke and Jocelyn spill embarrassing childhood stories about you while they were at it with Clary.”

 

“Obviously,” Simon agreed with a grin. “Did Alec and Izzy spill any of yours?”

 

“You’ll never know,” Jace said primly.

 

“ _ That _ is where you’re wrong, Lightwood,” Simon retorted with a smile and a pointed finger. “This is my home away from home, I know each one of their soft spots. I will find out every single thing that happened and you won’t be able to stop me then.”

 

“God, you’re such a nerd, Lewis,” Jace told him with exasperation. Simon didn’t take it as an insult given the silly look on his face. “Are you going to come to the party with me or not?”

 

With a nod Simon put his hands in his pockets-- jean pockets that barely moved constricted with water-- and said, “Of course. Now if you don’t mind me I’m going to go find the clothes I keep over here for these water fights and change. You still have my number from debate, right?”

 

Jace nodded. Even if he didn’t, he was sure Izzy wouldn’t waste more than a second programming it into his phone. “Yeah, I’ll text you with details later.”

 

Simon smiled and walked away down the hall and Jace was left reeling.  _ How in the hell was he completely out and going on a second date with Simon Lewis. _

  
  


* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, please, please let me know what you think?? This is a chapter that kind of got away from me, I wasn't expecting it to go like this (or this long wow 5k words really). Do you like the Lightwood trio hanging out with the garrowfray family? Was it too cheesy?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which at least one couple ends up happy at the homecoming after-party

* * *

 

 

Jace isn't entirely sure about this whole thing when it comes down to it. He keeps telling himself it will be fine, going to a high school party isn't like a  _ real _ date, but he still finds himself desperately nervous as he waits outside Magnus’ currently bursting party house for Simon. Said brunette had gone stag to the homecoming dance earlier that night with Clary, Izzy, and some friends and while he had offered Jace a spot in their group-- just like Izzy had-- Jace had declined. He’s perfectly fine only ever being in their high school gym for basketball or pep rallies.

 

Currently it helps that Magnus’ place is huge and full mostly of upperclassmen. While Jace is well known throughout all the grades, he’s not close with any of them. He gets a few winks and high fives as he moves through the crowd after leaving his brother and Magnus to flirt, but he doesn’t see anyone detrimental to his night so far. Kaelie Rosenthal spots him but there’s too many people to wade through for her to catch him before he runs into Simon near the front door.

 

Jace’s heart almost stops at the sight. Simon hadn’t changed and instead of the usual nerdy graphic tee or polo, he’s donning a not completely buttoned white dress shirt and black suit jacket. He looks  _ good _ , better than Jace would have ever expected, and it takes a minute for him to realize he hasn’t said hello like his date had. “Hey.”

 

“Hey, again,” Simon replies with a grin, and there’s a sort of mischievous glint in his eyes that makes Jace wonder if Simon knew what he is thinking. “Fancy seeing you here.”

 

Jace chuckles at the joke, trying to ignore the fact that the nervousness is starting to become palpable. This is a date… one they had planned… “Yeah, no kidding. You look good.”

 

Simon beams at the compliment. Jace ducks his head, unwilling to show his embarrassment. “Did I miss anything good? What do you usually do at these parties?”

 

“No, nothing crazy,” Jace replies. “And usually just talk and drink. How was the dance?”

 

It’s not  _ entirely _ what he usually does, but Jace isn’t about to admit the whole truth and Simon doesn’t look like he wants the whole truth anyway. “Good for the most part! The decorations that Clary worked on for the dance committee turned out really nice and the dj played some of the music I suggested which was cool of her. There was only a little drama, but I wasn’t apart of it really.”

 

“Drama?” Jace asks.

“Maia and Gretel broke up.” Simon nods. “It was sad, but I guess Gretel is moving to New Jersey.”

 

Jace frowns in response, trying not to remember about all the fights he had once had with Simon over Maia. If only he had realized... “That’s too bad.”

 

“Definitely, they were really cute together,” Simon agrees. There’s an awkward pause between them that follows. Jace wonders briefly where Clary and his sister are but it seems odd to ask a date. This whole time he’s been trying to ignore the stares of his classmates watching them, wondering if it’s just the fact that he and his former nemesis aren’t yelling at each other that’s causing the attention or instead something else… he hopes desperately it’s the former. Simon fumbles in the silence and asks, “Do you want me to get us drinks?”

 

Jace smiles supportively and Simon gives his arm a squeeze before making his way back through the crowd. Trying to refocus his emotions and ignore everyone else in the house seems impossible, and it becomes even more unlikely when someone touches his shoulder from behind and coldly asks, “ _ You _ brought a  _ date _ ?”

 

It’s Sebastian, because of course that’s his luck, and Jace is suddenly struck with the realization that he has made a very grave error. He hadn’t thought Sebastian would be here, which seemed stupid now, and he knows damn well this is only going to lead to utter disaster. Jace turns, jaw tightening at the tone in Sebastian’s voice, and removes his hand from his shoulder. Trying to deflect the unwanted attention, he says, “That seems obvious, doesn’t it?”

 

“Here I thought we had something,” Sebastian replies, his voice dripping with venom as he smiles.

 

“And what exactly was that?" Jace asks incredulously. The other blonde is watching him carefully and while his composure seems completely nonchalant there are traces of some dark cousin of hurt on his face. Something closer to possessiveness, maybe.

 

Sebastian grins, cementing the obvious. This is some twisted form of ego boost, just him playing with Jace like a mouse. “Well, if our texts were anything to go by."

 

Jace had always known that Sebastian wasn’t exactly the most moral person ever born, which is why he had never taken things further than a brief drunken make out session and flirting, but he also knew that pissing off the Senior would have consequences. More than that, he didn’t want Sebastian anywhere near him when Simon came back with drinks. “Look, I'm sorry if you thought we had something, and the pictures were great and all, but you're not my type."

 

This turns out to be the wrong thing to say. Sebastian’s brown eyes flash dangerously. "What do you mean I'm not your type? And nerd over there is? Jace, I have the receipts. You said that you wanted me to do unspeakable things to you."

 

“Fuck you,” Jace tells him angrily, because it’s clear that this fight isn’t going unnoticed and the drawback to being school quarterback was that the rumors were probably already spreading. “Simon is a decent human being who cares about people. Maybe if you were people would like you for more than sexting."

 

Sebastian gives a harsh laugh. “Fuck you, too.” With a vicious smirk and a look over Jace’s shoulder-- Simon is standing there with an unreadable expression, drinks looking a little slack in his hands-- the older blonde walks away.

 

In the opposite direction, Simon also runs off.

 

“Simon!” Jace yells, rushing after him in the moment because he’s fairly certain the feeling of kicking Sebastian's ass later will feel just as sweet. “Simon, stop!”

 

“ _ Him,  _ Jace? Really?” He's asked as Simon whirls around angrily. Some of the liquid he’s still holding spills out onto the floor.

 

Jace finds himself bristling at the horrible way Simon's mouth forms the words and the judgmental glare on his face, but for now he keeps the answer direct. “I didn't know about the Clary thing, Simon, and all of that was weeks ago!”

 

“You're still the guy he knew he could hook up with,” Simon snaps.

 

Jace steps back, hurt. For a moment he can see the brunette’s regret at his own words but Jace doesn't give him time to apologize. This entire thing is stupid, this had always been stupid, so fuck him and all their friends for ever thinking for one second it could be otherwise. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


“Clary!” Simon calls out in distress, greeting his best friend and immensely glad that she’s currently alone at the party on the downstairs couch. “Clary, I'm pretty sure I just ruined things with Jace and I'm not even sure I care.”

 

Clary's eyes raise rather judgmentally at first, before she sighs with not so patient exasperation. “Simon, of course you care, you're just scared. What happened?”

 

“Okay so it turns out he hooked up with--,” Simon pauses, not sure whether to admit who it was. “--this really awful person, and that person gloated about it and I just don't know why I was looking past the fact the fact that Jace is--,”

 

“Simon, you have no right to hate him for hooking up with Sebastian.” Clary interrupts, her voice sounding particularly edgy as she guesses the person correctly. “In some world I might, because Sebastian is  _ my _ problem, but I know Jace is a good guy and didn't know the full situation. And since when do you judge anyone's history anyway? I know you're better than that.”

 

Flailing, Simon opens and closes his mouth a few times. She's right, of course she's right, and  _ oh my God what a horrible date he was _ . What had gotten into him? Somewhere between showing up on the arm of the quarterback and the stares of half the school and Sebastian going into way too much detail Simon had gone down a terrifying spiral of insecurity. Only to lash out at the person who was so great it made him feel insecure… 

 

“Remember how you used to draw really pretty pictures of Izzy growing up and pretend they were just some character you made up?” Simon asks finally, and Clary sighs looking ready to argue as she rolls her eyes in the opposite direction. “And then the first time she asked if she could come over to your house I helped you hide every single one--,” Clary tenses suddenly as she shakes her head and begins to tell him, “Simon, stop.”

 

Feeling more frustrated that his best friend was refusing to understand him, he continues, “No, Clary, look. You said there’s an order of how to fall in love--,”

 

“I was in eighth grade, Simon, I was just being stupid, shut up!” Clary yells at him, looking so completely emotional that Simon did stop and look around only to spot Izzy not far behind him in the crowd. Aghast at the way Izzy was staring, drinks in hands, and even more guilt-ridden at the way Clary’s eyes spring with tears as she runs off through the crowd, he feels horrible as he goes to rushes after his best friend. He was sure Izzy felt the same way as Clary, sure of that more than anything, but that didn’t mean she was ready any more than Clary hadn’t been ready for Simon to haphazardly spill her feelings. It was a party, a very loud party full of a ton of people, Simon had never thought anyone would listen or be able to overhear them. Why did he have to come to this thing? Why on earth did he think a high school party would ever be something other than misery?

  
  


* * *

 

 

The party is going well, from the most basic perspective, and Magnus is fine with that for the moment. There’s plenty of food and drink to go around-- he had paid a freshman to keep up with it and it seemed like the young kid aimed to please-- and everyone likes his taste in music. Or if they didn’t, they knew better to say anything. Magnus was  _ the _ king of the Senior class and ruler of the school now that he had started dating Alec and people had seen what a bitch his ex girlfriend Camille was. Not that it matters, of course, Magnus smiles smugly.

 

His time at the school dance with Alec had been brief due to needing to set up his after party, but sweet and well worth it. Alec was dressed formally in a way that made Magnus’ chest flutter and the chance to finally dance with his boyfriend was something he had been waiting desperately for. The hopeless romantic in him had fallen head over heels when Alec could actually slow step-- and had fallen even  _ further _ , if it was possible, when Alec had sheepishly admitted he had made Izzy teach him the moves just for Magnus. He’s fully intent on sending Alec’s sister a bouquet of flowers as soon as possible.

 

“Alec!”

 

Magnus and the aforementioned both turn before Izzy is barreling into Alec’s chest, tightly holding on and if he hears right, sniffling. From the way that Alec’s face expresses initial surprise that gives way to what is definitely frightening brotherly anger as he puts his arms around her tightly, Magnus supposes he’s right.

 

“What’s wrong, Izzy? Who hurt you?”

 

He’s seen the way that his boyfriend cares deeply for his siblings even before he and Alec were dating. With how protective he was of Jace on the football field and how angry he was at anyone who had even said one word to Raphael when his sister was dumped it wasn't hard to miss. Now that he knew Alec better he’s seen it even when the other Lightwoods aren’t around. The way he’ll deeply laugh at some of the texts Jace sends when he and Magnus are on a date, the way he’ll fondly list off the movies and tv shows that Izzy has ‘forced’ him watch, and how every single time he decides to sleep over he calls his youngest brother Max to check up on him and let him know. Alec’s life is family, it’s one of the things Magnus deeply appreciates about him and one of the reasons he even bothered setting Jace up with Simon Lewis. So whoever put the tears in beautiful, kind Izzy’s eyes would be facing the wrath of more than the Lightwoods.

 

That is until Izzy pulls back, mascara a little smudged, and says, “No one. No one  _ hurt _ me. Clary’s in love with me.”

 

And then she bursts in tears again and suddenly Alec doesn’t look angry, he looks like he’s desperately trying to figure out if there’s a hidden camera somewhere. Magnus can’t help but feel a tug of happiness when Alec looks to him to fix it. Alec trusting anyone with his siblings means more than one could imagine. Smiling kindly at Izzy, Magnus asks her, “She’s not the one who told you, is she?”

 

“No!” Izzy exclaimed, her temper coming back up at the apparent root cause of the problem. “I overheard Simon say it. We’ve been best friends for three years now and she’s been in love with me for even longer than that and she didn’t tell me! And then she saw that I heard and she just ran off and now she won’t answer any of my texts or phone calls! What if this is the end of us being friends?”

 

Now is when Alec starts to find stable ground and Magnus can see his anger at Clary forming. Quickly Magnus asks, “Do you think she’d be mad at you if she found out how long you’ve liked her the same way?”

 

“I don’t--,” but she falters at Magnus’ stare, glances at Alec and then stares at the ground. “It’s not supposed to be like this, Magnus. She’s not supposed to have feelings for me, we’re supposed to be friends or like sisters and I’m supposed to be okay with that, and I’m not supposed to have to worry how my mom is going to hate me even more--,”

 

Her big brown eyes are tearing up again but Alec’s face has already fallen as he’s pulled Izzy back in for a deep, tight hug. His eyes look to Magnus after a few seconds and hopefully they catch the way that Magnus is wishing them all the support they could ever need. Magnus moves forward and puts his arm around Alec’s back as he gives Izzy’s shoulder a squeeze and sighs. “Dearest Isabelle, I know it's not easy, but it might help to pretend that every harsh word she says to you is being said to one of your brothers. And then with however much anger you can manage, ignore it just like you would if it were said to them, because you know how much they are worth more than petty words. And we, everyone else, know how much  _ you _ are worth more. Love like Clary's that’s strong for so long doesn't come around often. I'd hate to see you give it up.”

 

She nods, tears drying as she pulls herself together in less than a minute-- Magnus is often impressed by how strong she is-- and comments that's she's going to fix her makeup. He watches her leave, only slightly worried, and turns to see Alec staring at him so intently that he's almost taken aback. He's about to make a funny quip about young gay love-- the remark would have been hilarious-- when Alec interrupts, “I'm in love with you.”

 

At first he's not quite sure who's more surprised by the words. Alec's eyes have widened and after a moment his lips purse as if to confirm that he's not taking the confession back. Magnus feels his heart skip at least three beats, still not able to immediately say the words in return when he's so caught in the moment. This makes Alec fumble. “I'm sorry I know we haven't been dating that long and you're my first boyfriend--,”

 

“No, no, don't apologize!” Magnus rushes to fill in, closing the distance between them and taking Alec's hand in his. “I think I've been in love with you for a while now too.”

 

Alec's boyish, unabashed grin is everything to Magnus. The kiss afterward is even more.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realize the sebastian/jace thing might seem a little weird but it'll be more explained next chapter!
> 
> Please let me know what you think!! :) where do you see the story going next?


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jace and Simon grow closer as some people try to tear them apart...

* * *

 

 

The hangover Jace was nursing due to the after party when he finally woke up Sunday afternoon wasn’t kind. He swore up and down at his phone that had been vibrating and sounding off with notifications of texts and calls ever since the morning, to no avail. It was still across the room, somewhere in the pocket of last night’s pants, and he just wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone about how horrible his date had been.

 

After Jace had walked away from Simon at the after party he had ran into Maia, who also seemed to be in a foul mood, and they had stolen some liquor and gone upstairs to one of the many rooms in Magnus’ mansion of a house and complained to each other about their love lives. At one point they even started a drinking game involving a shot anytime they mentioned Simon or Gretel. Izzy had joined at some point, Jace had been well past tipsy then, and he only vaguely remembered Maia drunkenly flirting with Izzy, who a few swigs later was flirting back. By the time Jace had stopped sitting deep in thought of self hatred and plans of revenge on Sebastian, Maia and Izzy were kissing and Alec was walking in and yelling at all of them.

 

So it’s not much of a surprise when there’s a pounding knock on Jace’s bedroom door that feels as though it’s reverberating against his very skull, and Alec is yelling, “Jace, at least turn your damn ringtone off if you’re not going to answer your fucking phone.”

 

“It’s my phone!” he yelled back, stubbornly. Purely because he expects that Alec will do exactly what he does, which is barge in his room, find Jace’s phone, and turn it off for him. Jace is too hungover to smirk and the light peaking through the blinds is too bright, but he suspects the stare he’s giving Alec works.

 

“Do you know how late I stayed up cleaning up the mess you and Izzy made in my car and you’re in here moping and letting your phone ring through our shared bedroom wall?” Alec demands, indeed looking disheveled. “Why were you even drinking last night? Scratch that, why were you getting wasted with Maia on a date with Simon? To be even more specific, how the hell did you get drunk off your ass and let our sister make out with some random chick at my boyfriend’s party?”

 

Jace groaned, rubbing his temples as he desperately hoped they had Aspirin in the house. “Are you done?”

 

If it was possible, Alec looked more furious. “Jace, I swear--,”

 

“Simon hates me. He found out I-- did stuff-- with someone he didn’t like and he said shit and Maia got dumped by Gretel at the dance so we just got drunk and talked,” Jace explained. Hopefully Alec would leave at that, or roll his eyes and give up, but he didn’t. With a groan, Jace continues, “Honestly, Alec, it wasn’t like that. I was drunk by the time Izzy came around and you literally walked in right as they started kissing before I had any time to stop it or whatever.”

 

Finally, Alec rolls his eyes, which means his anger has dropped at least two levels. “Look, I don’t know what Simon said, but all these missed calls and texts--,” Alec waves Jace’s phone. “-- are from him.”

 

Jace sits up in bed, surprised. He doesn’t want to be hopeful-- he definitely shouldn’t be, I mean for all he knew it could just be that Simon wanted to chew him out some more, but despite every fear he reaches to Alec for his phone. Alec doesn’t give it immediately.

 

“I don’t want to see you spiral again,” Alec tells him firmly, but there’s a brotherly look behind his eyes that makes something in Jace’s chest squirm. “If Simon’s too stupid to get to know who you are really then forget about him, but then after that come talk to me or Izzy first, okay?”

 

Jace nodded, looking down at his tangled black bed sheets, taking his phone from Alec as his brother walked out of the room muttering something under his breath that sounded like  _ sophomores. _

 

With dread rising, Jace swiped away the notification for the missed calls and went to his texts first. There was one from Maia,  _ I’m never drinking with you again Lightwood _ , one from Magnus,  _ You owe me two bottles of rum and a de-stressed boyfriend next time I see you _ , and eleven from Simon, all various forms of apologies ending with,  _ Please can we talk somewhere? _

 

More than likely if Jace was to go and talk to Simon now it would end in disaster. He had a migraine that was making his mood rather touchy, he was worried about Izzy and feeling guilty for dragging her into his mess, and he wasn’t sure just one shower was going to wash the smell of a drunken night off him. That being said, there were eleven texts from Simon that made Jace feel intensely vulnerable and so he responds with a place and time and makes a beeline for the Aspirin and shower.

  
  


When he gets to the fast food place, Simon is already waiting at one of the booths with what looks like half the menu on the table, all pushed to the other side of him. Jace walked over to the table with confusion, and Simon’s face brightened momentarily upon seeing him. Following Jace’s lost expression, Simon said, “I, uh, ordered you hangover food but I realized I have no idea what you would eat from here, so.”

 

“How’d you know I’m hungover?” Jace asked, sitting down to the food gratefully and trying to decide which of the items was the exact amount of greasy enough to facilitate things.

 

“Magnus told me,” Simon answered awkwardly, scratching his neck. “I got a call around eleven last night from him demanding to know why you were drunk with Maia and Izzy because it was ruining his night with Alec.”

 

“Oh,” Jace said mildly, putting down the burrito he’d unwrapped.

 

Simon shook his head in a hurry as Jace went to apologize. “No, Jace, don’t. I’m sorry for being a total asshole last night, I was completely unfair. I was just wigged out by the fact we were even on another date, let alone in front of the school.”

 

“Yeah, a party was supposed to be less pressure in theory,” Jace said. “I forgot about Sebastian.”

 

“You don’t have to explain, Jace, I never should have judged you for that,” Simon said, shaking his head. “I get that he’s just some edgy guy to most people, and you didn’t know about Clary at the time, it just freaked me out because you and I both know I have no edge whatsoever. Practically a circle over here.”

 

“Lead singer of a band gives you some edge,” Jace generously replied, half smiling before he turned the conversation deep again. “But that’s not even my type, Simon. All that stupid stuff with him happened only because of timing. I was spinning completely out of control and it was nice to have someone else be the cocky arrogant asshole for once. Everything with him stopped once school started and I didn’t think he thought it was serious anymore than I didn’t.”

 

Simon nodded, looking understanding enough, but was hesitant as he spoke. “What was making you spin out of control? I mean, if you want to tell me.”

 

At the same time, he did and he didn’t. Jace wasn’t exactly the kind to open up about feelings, which was what had caused all this in the first place, but he also knows this is the sort of thing that he’ll have to do if he ever wants to really date Simon. Which, whether it’s the hangover talking or not, he thinks he might. 

 

“I found out I was adopted like I had always feared and who my parents were,” Jace started, and watched Simon’s eyes flicker with some surprise. “I had just made quarterback on top of that, and had all this new pressure and popularity on my back and people trying to get to know me when I didn’t know who I was myself. And then Alec stuck up to our parents and came out and started dating Magnus and it-- it made me terrified to ever be serious with guys because they treated Alec that way and he’s their biological son, you know? But then I met Sebastian at some party and he was persistent and at some point I just cracked. It’s not like he wanted to be my boyfriend.”

 

Looking rather solemn, Simon’s eyes sympathetically watched Jace. “After seeing Max I didn’t think you were adopted. You guys look a lot alike.”

 

Jace didn’t really say anything to that. He had once held onto the same rationale, of course, just like everyone else who met his family. He and Max were the only blondes, the only ones with blue eyes, and Jace hadn’t dared to ask how exactly that was. It didn’t matter really, because Max wasn’t the one who came from such a twisted, horrible beginning.

 

Seeming to know not to push for more, Simon changed topics. “So you got drunk with Maia, huh?”

 

“Maia  _ and Izzy _ ,” Jace shot back immediately, but Simon was smiling and looking mostly unconcerned. At one point in middle school any mention of the pretty girl was enough to get them toe to toe. “And  _ you’re _ the one who asked her out the day after I made out with her in eighth grade.”

 

“I didn’t know you had made out with her!” Simon exclaimed. “I had liked her for a month, you were the one who kissed her knowing I had a crush on her!”

 

“I didn’t know you had a crush on her,” Jace argued, rolling his eyes. “Or that she’d turn you down after I kissed her.”

 

Simon scoffed. “Bullshit. You didn’t  _ care _ I had a crush on her.”

 

“Oh I cared,” Jace snapped back, getting slightly annoyed as the memories came back and only now realizing he had slipped. Picking up the now cold burrito, he held on to hope that Simon would be stubborn enough not to notice.

 

“You admit it! Ha!” Simon half yelled, before pausing. “Wait. What?”

 

Jace exhaled a long breath, staring at the waste of food in front of him instead of looking forward at Simon and admitted, “Okay, I might have guessed even if I didn’t know for sure.”

 

Looking flustered and perhaps a little hurt, Simon asked, “Why didn’t you just ask her out back then?”

 

“Because I didn’t want to go out with  _ her _ , Simon,” Jace huffed. 

 

Simon watched him for a full minute. Jace stared back, increasingly feeling more and more uncomfortable. In his defense, it had been eighth grade and he had only been fourteen, and while he had been vaguely aware of his attraction to male athletes and female models he hadn’t actually completely figured out that both attractions applied to his real life relationships. He had liked Maia a lot, she was pretty and didn’t act dumb around guys just to kiss them, but when Jace had noticed that Simon liked her he had immediately needed to put a wrench in things. At the time, he told himself it was because Simon was stupid and they hated each other anyway. Now…

 

“You’re an idiot, Jace,” Simon told him finally, but his grin is so wide that it’s almost blinding.

 

He wants to kiss him now, even pushes away the food and starts to lean over the table to do so, but then Simon started to laugh and Jace pulled back in annoyance.

 

Simon is still laughing. “Did you ever try and make out with Raphael so I wouldn’t date him either?”

 

Jace glared. Finding out not long after the Maia incident that Simon actually was into guys enough to date one had been an intensely conflicting time in his life. “Very funny.”

 

“Oh, believe me it would be,” Simon laughed, as if there was more to the joke that Jace wasn’t getting. “All you would have to do is threaten to kiss him. All that Lightwood charm you brag about would be completely useless.”

 

“He dated Izzy, Simon,” Jace reminded him dryly. “The Lightwood charm is fine.”

 

That shut Simon up rather easily, and an awkward silence ensued. Izzy had refused to talk about her and Raphael’s relationship, and Jace knew things had been awkward between Simon and his sister for awhile until Simon had also broken up with him. Somehow, Raphael had managed to avoid being talked about by either of his exes. As if sensing the impending questions, Simon quickly followed up, “Speaking of Lightwood charm, you know that you, Alec, and Izzy are kind of a meme at school, right?”

 

Jace sighed. “You mean, have I constantly heard about whether people would rather fuck, marry, or kill me or my siblings? Can’t say I have.”

 

Simon had the decency to look slightly embarrassed, but he did offer, “I always killed Alec off, if it’s any consolation.”

 

“From what I’ve gathered you’re the only one,” Jace said darkly. “You know that was actually sent around as some poll and posted online with the results freshman year? Turns out I’m not the popular one.”

 

“What?” Simon asked, looking shocked and then hurried. “You didn’t think that was real, right?”

 

“What do you mean ‘wasn’t real’?” Jace asked bitterly.

 

There was some sadness in Simon’s expression as he explained, “Jace, that was some revenge thing Jordan Kyle created after you kicked his ass for hurting Maia over winter break that year. I thought you would have figured that out immediately, I mean there’s no way over 90% of the school would pick Izzy and Alec over you.”

 

Jace didn’t reply, instead watching the table and wishing he had gotten a soda or something that could distract him from being embarrassingly relieved. Before Simon can make this a Thing and thereby focus on Jace’s lack of self esteem like his siblings already try to, Jace asked, “So when’s our next date?”

  
  


* * *

 

  
  


Simon’s Sunday had gone far better than his Monday morning was currently going. After spending most of yesterday with Jace, he had then been forced to stay up all night studying for the chemistry test Izzy had been tutoring him on. Still keyed up from actually having a genuine conversation about Jace and finding out that Jace had liked him just as long as he had liked Jace (the blonde being a little more emotionally constipated), he hadn’t been able to sleep at all after that either. He had played around on his guitar to angry yelling from both Rebecca and his mother to go to sleep, failed on several attempts at writing lyrics, sent useless texts to Clary about Izzy and Izzy about Clary because Simon found it stupid they were avoiding each other, and when all that failed he gave up on sleep and played some WoW.

 

He sleeps through his first Art History class, which is another art elective he took so he could have a class with Clary. In hindsight he realizes he shouldn’t have expected her to wake him up this time. She’s not exactly happy with him after Homecoming, and he spent all day yesterday trying to recover things with Jace and let things slip by with her. He tries to catch her when the bell rings but she’s too small and fast and he’s too exhausted.

 

Running after Clary and then turning around makes him late for his second class, and he slides into his seat next to Jace while the teacher glares and decides whether or not to punish him. For once today, something goes right and the teacher moves on to announcements. Simon drops his bag to the floor with a yawn, only barely realizing that Jace is next to him and this is the first time they’ve been in class like this knowing how they feel about each other.

 

Jace raised an eyebrow at Simon’s general state of disarray, but Simon shook his head and Jace didn’t ask. He did, however, hand his Starbucks mug over to Simon who almost cried with gratitude. Having lost track of time playing WoW he hadn’t even made coffee this morning, and just the smell alone right now was heavenly. It was made even better when Jace chuckled at Simon’s reaction and then gave him a  _ wink _ before turning back to the teacher’s lecture.

 

Somewhere between the warm, expensive coffee and thoughts of Jace and daydreams of going home to sleep, he gets lost and is rattled to when Jace kicks his desk and Simon realizes the teacher is looking directly at him.

 

“Yes?” Simon asks with some strain, finally perking up. The entire classroom is staring at him and he’s still trying to think through a fog of exhaustion and butterflies.

 

“Who invented communism?” the teacher repeated, looking annoyed.

 

_ Shit _ . Simon knew this, he did, but he can’t think and Jace is watching him and he’s feeling more and more stupid and annoyed that he didn’t just take a tylenol pm last night, and…

 

“I mean, obviously Bernie Sanders,” Jace interrupts with a smirk, taking the attention off Simon. “If you ask Fox News, at least.”

 

Everyone laughs, because it’s the cool kid quarterback, and also because it’s not that bad of a joke. Simon’s grateful yet again. The teacher rolls her eyes through a very small smile as she asks of Jace, “And who actually came up with the idea?”

 

“Karl Marx.” Jace sighed, as if Marx was somehow a boring man.

 

“Good.” The teacher moved on and Simon silently thanked Jace again. Jace smiled briefly, but then turned away, and for a second Simon thought he might have actually made him blush.

 

When the bell rang it was only seconds before Jace finally stopped staring at him and asked, “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah, I didn’t get any sleep last night,” Simon replied as they walked out of the classroom, not sure how to fully explain the dysfunctional relationship his anxiety and sleep had. Jace had his own issues. “The coffee was a lifesaver, honestly. And also you taking the heat from the teacher, thanks.”

 

“No problem,” Jace shrugged as they walked together, and Simon was sure that it might not have been, but considering their history Simon was still reeling. “You know if you’re having trouble sleeping, I can send you my Julliard tape. Totally boring. Only classical music.”

 

“Listening to you play piano will  _ not _ put me to sleep,” Simon said instantly, then realized he might have been a little emphatic as Jace smirked.

 

“Why is that? Do you have a secret piano fetish?”

 

Simon could feel his face flush, and either the coffee had triple espresso shots that were just now kicking in or hearing Jace say the word fetish in the high school hallway was waking him up. “No,  _ Jace _ , I don’t secretly want to have sex with pianos.”

 

“Do--,”

 

“ _ Yes _ , I know what fetish means,” Simon cut across.

 

Jace was clearly finding it very hard not to burst out laughing, his shoulders shaking as he bit his lip. Simon was starting to think that maybe he liked the blonde better as an enemy. “I’m sure you do, Lewis. So is it the fingers running down the keys, or--,”

 

“ _ Jace _ ,” Simon huffed indignantly. “If you don’t think I won’t pull out the fact that you come to my shows and watch me perform in secret to make you shut up, you’re wrong.”

 

Jace does shut up rather quickly in a hilarious turn of the tables. “How…?”

 

“Okay, first of all, I’m not dumb. You mentioned Maureen on our first date and she doesn’t even go to this school. Second, I’m a singer and I don’t have keys to stare at, I have people.”

 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Jace asked curiously.

 

Simon smiles. “Because I knew the second I brought it up you’d never come again, and I liked having you there. I perform better when I know you’re watching.” Before Jace could even open his mouth, Simon added, “And if you turn me being sweet into a ‘that’s what she said’ moment, I will stop speaking to you.”

 

Chuckling, Jace shook his head. The warning bell was ringing, and they both had different places to be, but neither of them were heading in any direction. Now they were standing still, and Simon wanted to see if Jace would do whatever the desperate look behind his eyes wanted to. Kissing for the first time at school seemed to weird, but Simon also knew that Jace wasn’t a hugger either. And were they even at the kissing point, Simon questioned? I mean Jace was suddenly teasing him and flirting openly, but who the hell knew what that meant when Jace was involved. It wasn’t going to be that much longer until the late bell rang and they were still on the edge of saying goodbye as it got more and more weird and more people passed them, but Jace made a noise as he moved forward, kissed Simon on the cheek, and then completely ignored any reaction as he made a beeline for class.

 

Simon doesn’t make it to study hall where he belongs. Everything bad about the day had seemed salvaged, and that was when Sebastian strolls beside him on his way down the hall.

 

“Hello, Lewis.”

 

“Get the hell away from me,” Simon snapped immediately, anger rising up like it belonged there. He already had despised Sebastian long before jealousy had ever been invited into his feelings, but now Simon felt a level of hate for him that he hadn’t quite managed to feel for anyone else so far.

 

“That’s no way to talk to your elders.” The ridiculously pale, skinny kid smirked like he owned the entire school.

 

“You’re only a grade above me,” Simon scoffed, glaring at the douche bag. “Don’t you have someone else to torture with your presence?”

 

“Oh, plenty. No rest for the wicked, you know.” Sebastian sighed offhandedly, clearly finding himself amusing. “But you’ve been bumped up my list. Do you imagine you’ll ever wash that cheek again, now that the school quarterback kissed it?”

 

Sebastian’s eyes were twinkling more and more the angrier Simon got, and for a moment Simon was too busy being disgusted that Sebastian had watched what had been a perfect moment to reply.

 

The dick took the opportunity. “You know it’s never going to last, right?”

 

“Clary’s patience with you?” Simon challenged back, stopping in the hall and giving up on going to class for the moment. This might have been the stupidest thing he’s ever done, he knows how terrible Sebastian is from stories told by not only Clary or Raphael, but he’s sick of being pushed around and not about to roll over to some creep. “You’re definitely right, I’d probably leave her alone before she presses charges.”

 

The light amusement that Sebastian had displayed just seconds ago evaporated instantaneously, replaced by real darkness. “Funny. It’s like things are so horrible with your family that you’ve tried to adopt mine. I'd make a remark, but I feel like anti-semitism is too lazy these days, don’t you think?”

 

Simon stepped dangerously close to Sebastian, so angry he was shaking. If he knew that hitting him wasn’t exactly what he wanted, Simon would have beat him until he broke his own hand. Instead he tried to control his voice, tried to keep steady as he replied, “You know, you really should stop projecting those abandonment issues. They teach psych here, maybe the teacher will be able to get you some help.”

 

“Maybe a sexual therapist?” Sebastian asked without skipping a beat. “Then maybe we can talk about how your silly crush told me how he terribly he wanted to suck my cock.”

 

“And I told my chemistry teacher I understood her lesson last week,” Simon spat back. “We all say things we don’t mean.”

 

Sebastian scoffed. Simon knew somewhere in his brain that he’d technically won the argument as Sebastian walked off after a quip of “Ignorance is bliss”. He’d beat the big bad Senior’s intimidation tactics without ending up in detention or the hospital, which was more than could be said for plenty. He walked into Study Hall completely late but the teacher wasn’t paying attention, and if Mr. Starkweather had been, Simon probably would have yelled at him anyway.

 

He had never minded that Raphael was asexual, not once, honestly not that concerned with kissing or sex last year anyway. Their relationship had been more companionship and banter than anything else, sharing their religions with one another and venting about how hard it was to grow up with single mothers. Raphael’s mother might have been more exhausted due to her many children, but Simon’s mother was the alcoholic, so they had plenty of material to cover. In that relationship Simon had been the one to make sexual remarks, purely for comedic value, and then they'd gone on to bond in different ways.

 

But with Jace… Was sex what Jace wanted? Jace had made it perfectly clear that Sebastian had been a mistake, but he hadn’t denounced the sexting exactly. And while Simon was sure that Jace was just winding Simon up like always this morning, just in a playful flirty way, it wasn’t super innocent. It definitely hadn’t left Simon feeling innocent, anyway. But all Jace had done between classes was kiss him on the cheek, not thrust him against the lockers and make out with him.

 

He couldn’t believe he was letting Sebastian get to him.

 

Pulling out his phone discreetly, he texted Clary to meet him at his van and told the teacher he had to use the restroom. Unsure if she’d even show, he decided that if she didn’t he’d just leave campus for the day-- his mom was in no position to lecture him on responsibility lately-- but she did, a few minutes later.

 

“Simon, I really don’t want to talk about Izzy--,” she huffed angrily, until she caught sight of his state and his fidgeting. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

 

“Oh, you mean other than dealing with Sebastian implying my family is horrible because they’re Jewish--,” Clary’s eyebrows shot up almost faster than the way she turned around in a furor that would have had her march back into school to kill her brother if Simon hadn’t firmly grabbed her arm. “Not the point, at the moment, Clary. He’s just mad that Jace and I are sort of a thing and that we sort of half kissed in the hallway and he’s doing his usual possessive shit.”

 

Clary was still breathing rather shallowly, her lips pursed into an angry line. Simon should have probably thought this through better, knowing Clary’s temper and how close they both were to each other’s families. “I’m going to kill him. He’s horrible, Simon.”

 

“Fully aware,” Simon said, sighing. “But what if half the stuff he says is true, Clary? What if Jace is ready for sex right now? I’m not! I’m the cheesiest romantic ever. I mean yeah, Jace is great, and we’ve had this thing building up for forever but we’re like sixteen and maybe I’m being naive and--,”

 

“Whoa, Simon, calm down,” Clary told him, finally grasping the situation. She gently grabbed both his arms and looked him in the eyes. “Jace knows you, okay? You guys have been on two dates already and he’s only kissed you on the cheek. You’re not being naive. Sebastian is being manipulative, like always.”

 

“Okay so he won’t pressure me but what if--,”

 

“Simon, he’s Jace,” Clary sighed. “If he really only wanted sex, he could get it with someone else. He’s literally been repressing his feelings for you for years, I’m sure he can repress any sexual urges for you for a few more.”

 

At her tone, Simon did have to laugh a little. “I don’t know Fray, I’m a very tempting guy.”

 

“Yep, as a lesbian I don’t know how Jace doesn’t just do you right here,” Clary replies, giggling.

 

Laughing with her, he finally can feel most of the tension go away. His breathing is more normal at least, and his hands aren’t cramping as much from being tight fists anymore. “Thanks. I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

 

Clary’s face fell a little. “Of course, Simon. I’m sorry about this weekend. It really wasn’t your fault, I just-- I need space to figure out everything, and you’re not exactly good at not trying to fix things.”

 

“Fair enough,” Simon admitted, both of them with small smiles left on their faces. “But you’re the one who almost ran into the school to commit homicide.”

 

“I’d like to say it wasn’t premeditated,” Clary said dispassionately. “But honestly every day it becomes a little harder. I just don’t know what happened to make him this way. I know--  _ his _ father isn’t exactly the nicest person in the world, and that he hates our mother for not keeping him in the divorce, but he just gets more and more twisted with time.”

  
  


* * *

 

  
  


Jace’s math class had been particularly draining today, but he wasn’t sure if it was the actual subject matter or any distraction keeping him from obsessing over the fact that he had kissed a boy on the cheek in public, and that boy was Simon Lewis. At the time it made the most sense. He hated hugs and he wasn’t about to kiss romantic Simon for the first time in their crowded school hallway because a bell had rung. But now he was worried if it was too cheesy and he should have sucked it up and hugged him, or if  _ that _ would have been too cheesy.

 

He had left his math class early, bag in hand, without telling the teacher where he was going. There wasn’t much time left till the period ended anyway, and even then the math teacher was overly invested in the school sports team and wouldn’t punish him. His plan had been to meet Simon at his locker for lunch, because he realized he hadn’t made lunch plans with him like he had intended this morning and texting now would seem too casual. When he gets to Simon’s locker though, Simon is already there, and something is definitely off.

 

The bell rings for lunch as Jace walks up to him and says, “Hey.”

 

“Hey!” Simon said, the perky tone sounding weird. “Did we, uh, have lunch plans?”

 

“No,” Jace admits, feeling off balance. He tugs the strap of his backpack. “I was wondering if you wanted to get something anyway, but if you already have plans that’s fine.”

 

“My only plans were to see if I was going to end up with Clary or Izzy in their divorce,” Simon tells him, sounding like he wants to be joking but not quite hitting his usual cadence.

 

Jace can’t quite pretend anymore. “Did I make things weird, earlier? You sound off.”

 

Simon’s shoulders fall as does his fake smile but he shakes his head for what it’s worth. “No, of course not. I mean, us flirting directly instead of through subtext is going to be weird to me for awhile, but that’s not why I’m… ‘off’.”

 

“So…?”

 

The brunette’s eyes narrowed a little as he bit his lip. “Promise you won’t react the same way Clary did? ‘Cause I’m definitely not strong enough to hold you back and you also don’t have the ‘but I’m a girl’ argument going for you.”

 

“ _ What _ ?” Jace asked, completely lost.

 

Simon sighed. “Sebastian said some shit to me in the hall earlier, after you left.”

 

Gently, but nonetheless firmly, Jace grasped Simon’s shoulder and looked him dead in the eyes. “What did he say? And don’t be all you and brush it off because I will go to Clary and ask if I need to.”

 

“Right,” Simon said, clearly making a mental note not to mention the redhead’s reaction to things again. “He’s an asshole, though, and I won the argument.”

 

“Not the point,” Jace replied, waiting impatiently. “Come on, Simon.”

 

Looking deeply uncomfortable, and as if he wished he had never admitted to anything, Simon slowly said, “I guess he saw us in the hallway and wanted to make fun of it, and I got mad and made some remark about Clary, so he made a comment about my judaism and then we somehow landed on talking about you again and what you had said in the past.”

 

Before now, Jace had never quite experienced an adrenaline spike this high off the football field. He let go of Simon’s shoulder because he was sure he might squeeze too tightly a second longer. “Anything else?”

 

“No,” Simon said. “Can we just go? I’m starving.”

 

“Sure,” Jace said with a smile. “I rushed to meet you here and I forgot my keys in my locker, meet me at my car?”

 

Simon looked dubious, but Jace emptied his jeans pockets to show that he indeed had no keys and Simon slowly accepted it as Jace walked in the opposite direction. He kept his pacing even enough, but once he took the turn for the cafeteria he walked faster. By the time he hit the lunch room he was furious enough that he didn’t give a fuck who Sebastian was sitting with at the stupid lunch table or whether teachers were anywhere in sight. He pulled Sebastian out of his seat by the back of his jacket-- the gym and sports paid off sometimes-- and punched him straight in the gut without thinking.

 

While Sebastian is still winded, Jace tells him, “You ever go near Simon again and I will personally make sure your life is more hell than it is, understand?”

 

Sebastian sighed, though there were etches of pain on his face as he stood straight again, as though being assaulted was only a mild inconvenience. “I’ll consider the offer.”

 

Debating how ethical smashing the blonde’s head into the table was, he settled with stepping close enough that only they could hear each other speak, but not close enough that Sebastian could try and kiss him, and dangerously whispered, “Next time you get upset incest is still illegal and the guy you wish you could fuck finds something better, get a better outlet.”

 

There’s no reply, no scoff, no fist to his face, just silence. Jace is smart enough to know that’s deadlier, but he’s made his point and he’s not about to let the teacher’s find him or have Camille get involved and so he quickly leaves the cafeteria to go meet Simon.

 

By the time he gets there Simon is sitting next to the hood of Jace's car, and Jace has already wrestled his keys out of his backpack and into his hand. “Sorry, ran into Alec on the way. Do you know where you want to eat?”

 

“Subway should be fine,” Simon answered with a shrug as they both hopped in the car. As soon as they had both sat down, Simon launched into a new subject. “So Clary said she needed space to think about Izzy knowing she has feelings, but that sounds like bullshit, right?”

 

“I don’t know, I’m not a lesbian, Simon,” Jace replied, trying not to think about his sister’s mess of a love life any more than he was trying to think about how his might become more of one.

 

“You’re still a human who has emotions and relationships,  _ I think _ ,” Simon shot back waspishly. Jace was trying to find the nearest Subway on his app before turning the car on and driving. “Did Izzy say anything to you about it?”

 

“Not in words,” Jace replied truthfully, not about to sell out his sister even if it is Simon asking. Simon’s narrowed his eyes but Jace's gps is being continually interrupted by texts and now he’s receiving a call. He’s driving already, so he rejects it, but Izzy calls again right after. Fairly certain that news about his fight with Sebastian has spread and not willing to let Simon know what he did just yet, he rejects the call twice. Simon gives him a look. Jace ignores it. His Bluetooth informs him that Alec is also calling.

 

“Is something going on, Jace?” Simon asked him expectantly.

 

“Family drama, I guess,” Jace replied, brushing it off, but then Simon’s phone started ringing and Jace internally groaned.

 

Simon answered it and Jace could vaguely hear what sounded like Clary’s panicked voice, but he can very clearly and visibly see the color drain from Simon’s face as the brunette swore.

 

Horns were honking behind them angrily now, requiring Jace to drive. He dropped his phone in his lap so he could pull into the next turn in because Simon was still staring at him and he was worried that he was about to be yelled at or worse, until Simon said, “Jace, you need to check Facebook.”

 

Uneasily, he picked his phone back up and swiped away the alerts from Izzy and Alec saying about the same thing and to call them. Before Jace could even log into the app Izzy sent screenshots, and Jace was faced with posts from Sebastian on his Facebook wall picturing their text conversations in detail.

 

For a few seconds, Jace sat in shock. He numbly logged into the app, deleted the pictures, and then sat blocking people from his page for another few seconds. When he finally started coming to he slammed his phone against his dashboard, essentially shattering most of the screen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you think!! It's hard to be motivated when not many people comment, so even if you hate it and want me to go a different direction let me know!!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jace tries to deal with the aftermath of Sebastian's attack with Simon, and Alec has to deliver some bad news to the Lightwood siblings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it ends on a fluffy note, I promise

* * *

 

 

“What the fuck,” Simon muttered, and Jace had to agree. The brunette frowned and stayed silent just like Jace before a thought seemed to occur to him and he looked at Jace with immense concern. “Alec isn’t at the school for lunch, right?”

 

“Alec wouldn’t do anything,” Jace replied, too busy thinking about the more serious ramifications of everything. His parents, the school, college scholarships...

 

“Jace, I once thought he was going to kill me for telling you your hair looked dyed,” Simon said in turn, and Jace came to for a moment to think it over. Simon probably wasn’t wrong. His siblings were protective, they all were of each other, and if Sebastian had pulled something like this and either Alec or Izzy were on campus shit would likely go down.

 

“Can I use your phone?” Jace asked, slightly annoyed he had broken his out of anger now.

 

“Of course,” Simon replied, quickly handing it over. “But I’d call Izzy first, I doubt Alec would pick up if he sees my number. Actually, to think about it, I’m not sure he even has my number.”

 

Jace has already pushed on Izzy’s contact halfway through Simon’s rambling, and makes sure to answer first. “Izzy, you and Alec aren’t at school, right?”

 

“No, I decided to go off campus,” Izzy huffed angrily, before turning her emotion around and softly asking, “Are you okay, Jace?”

 

Jace scoffed. “I guess we’ll see tonight, right? Can you have Alec call Simon’s phone? I kinda destroyed mine.”

 

Izzy didn’t sound remotely surprised as she answered, “Of course. I don’t think Mom or Dad saw, you know. So that’s good. But Clary was saying that technically you might be able to press some sort of charges considering you’re a minor and he’s eighteen. She can ask Luke the specifics, if you want.”

 

“Not yet,” Jace said roughly. “It’s my fault for punching him, I should have known something like this would happen.”

 

Simon glanced his way at the admittal, frowning and rolling his eyes.

 

“It’s not your fault, Jace,” Izzy replied softly. “I’m sure whatever he did to make you crack made him earn it, and it’s not like he’s exactly innocent in the first place. You know I support you no matter what you do.”

 

“I know,” Jace sighed. “But hey, I have to go. Have Alec call me-- well, Simon-- so I can make sure he hasn’t committed murder or anything. Love you.”

 

“Love you too,” Izzy replied before hanging up.

 

Now Jace was left with Simon, who was giving him a  _ look _ as he asked, “Forgot something in your locker, huh?”

 

Jace winced a little, upset that this had probably made Simon only judge him more. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have tried to defend you like that and I know it just makes me fit the jock stereotype you hate but if it means anything, I’m clearly paying for it.”

 

“Jace,” Simon half laughed. “The quarterback of the school defending the geeky boy who has a crush on him doesn’t exactly fit jock stereotype.”

 

He relaxed a little bit and maybe Simon could tell how worried he was because he continued, “Even if I’m not the biggest fan of violence, and I don’t think you should mess with someone as fucked up as Sebastian, I’m kind of touched you liked me enough to do it.”

 

Now instead of relaxed, Jace felt completely embarrassed. “Yeah, but like-- you don’t hate me for the texts, right?”

 

“I didn’t read them.” Simon frowned. “It’s none of my business, and it was a complete invasion of your privacy. You explained everything yesterday and it’s in the past.”

 

Jace slowly nodded and reluctantly told Simon, “I’m not hungry anymore. Do you want to go to Subway still?”

 

“No, I’m with totally you,” Simon replied. "Hunger vanished."

 

Before they could go any further and Jace could start the car again, Simon’s phone started ringing with an unknown number that Jace recognized as Alec’s. Simon handed the phone over, and Jace greeted his brother with a dreary hello.

 

Alec didn’t sound much better. “You okay?”

 

“I’ll live,” Jace sighed. “What’s up? You sound worse than expected. You didn’t get expelled for kicking Sebastian’s ass, right?”

 

“As fun as that would be at the moment, no. I came home for lunch to a situation.” Alec answered. “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”

 

“I’m in the mood for good news first,” Jace replied darkly.

 

Alec sighed. “The good news is that I know for a fact that our parents didn’t see the Facebook pictures. On top of that, we won’t have to deal with two times the homophobia at home.”

 

Jace’s stomach dropped, any momentarily relief at Sebastian’s attack not being received by his parents gone. “So the bad news-- Dad is leaving? Seriously? Why today?”

 

“A combination of him being scared of Izzy telling mom and the fact that he knocked said twenty year old mistress up,” Alec told him.

 

Shell shocked, Jace was glad he was still sitting in his driver’s seat. Of all the possible combinations of timing this seemed the worst even if it did shortly get him off the hook, and he wondered desperately what this would do to his family as Simon stared worriedly beside him.

 

“Does Izzy know he’s leaving?” he asked. She might have disapproved of the affair but she still would be devastated at the departure. And Max-- poor Max was so young to deal with this sort of thing that it was cruel. Alec would be a little hurt of course, but mostly relieved at no longer dealing with blatant emotional abuse, Jace knew. Jace… Jace wasn’t sure how to feel.

 

“No,” Alec admitted. “I have no idea how to tell her. Or Max.”

 

“We can’t let mom tell her,” Jace said quickly, stress heightening to an all time high. The last time he had felt this horrible he had learned about the fate of his birth parents, and the time before that was last year’s state football final. This, however…

 

Maybe not over hearing half the conversation, but hearing enough, Simon reached out to hold Jace’s free right hand. It was oddly comforting and not something that anyone besides Izzy had ever done. Caught off guard, he didn’t quite catch all of what Alec said other than, “After practice can you pick Max up from school and we’ll text Izzy to meet us at the usual restaurant?”

 

“I’m not going to practice, Alec,” Jace huffed. “At least not today. I’ll pick Max up before Mom or the sitter does.”

 

“See you after then,” Alec replied, not even trying to argue the point. He was Jace’s brother first, football captain second.

 

“So,” Simon said, and Jace waited expectantly for his kind-of-not-really boyfriend to interrogate him on everything terrible going on his life. He was both surprised and wrong when Simon decided to distract him instead. “I can’t tell if I want to go in more of an acoustic direction with my music lately or electronic. Electronic definitely has a bigger audience right now, but there’s just something so classic about acoustic, right?”

 

For the first time since before lunch, which somehow felt like days ago and not only hours, Jace smiled. “You’re asking a classically trained musician if you should do  _ electronic _ ?”

 

“Okay, yeah.” Simon rolled his eyes. “But I can do a lot of cool things creatively with it, and it’s a lot easier when you’re not  _ classically trained _ .”

 

Jace rolled his eyes in return. “If you did electronic you’d have to auto-tune your voice often, you know that right?”

 

“Yes, I’m aware,” Simon laughed. “Is that a problem if it goes well with the music?”

 

Feeling awkward because of Simon for not the first time today, he admitted, “I can’t imagine changing your voice not being a problem in any context.”

 

“Is that your weird way of saying I have a pretty voice?” Simon grinned, eyebrows raised teasingly. Jace shoved his arm and Simon snickered happily. “Okay, so if you play a song for me then I’ll try and see if I can sing some acoustic song for you that'll help me decide.”

 

“This isn’t Glee,” Jace said dryly.

 

“The fact that you know that reference amuses me,” Simon shot back with a smile. “And don’t you dare blame Izzy, I happen to know that she never watched it because Clary and I were shocked and offended when we heard.”

 

Jace rolled his eyes, but was immensely grateful when they spent the rest of the afternoon together, glad to have someone.

 

 

* * *

 

 

To say Alec was having a horrible day would be a vast understatement. Sure, it probably wasn’t as bad as his brother Jace’s, but he figured it was damn well close and he wasn’t anywhere near happy about it. His mother had been a mess when he had arrived at lunch to only a few suitcases left in the foyer, and comforting her when he was halfway happy that his father was leaving was even worse.

 

He’d caught his father when the prick came back to pick the last of the suitcases up, having been put up to speed by his mother how his father’s mistress was barely older than him, pregnant, and his father’s paralegal assistant of all things. While he’d never tell Izzy or Max, Alex had decked his father right there. All his father-- Robert-- had done was wipe his bloodied lip and finish leaving.

 

Practice after lunch and his last few periods had been terrible without Jace there, mostly consisting of laps and defensive plays, and Magnus had been stuck in class president’s meeting that Alec didn’t want to ask him to skip.

 

When he met Jace and Max at the Chinese restaurant that had somehow become their go to whenever things like this occurred, he tried to steel himself in preparation as the oldest brother-- and now in a way the head of the family. Izzy arrived by the time Max had his dessert in front of him. (Anytime it was just the siblings out they indulged him whether or not he was getting old enough to know better by now.)

 

“What’s going on?” Izzy asked the moment she sat down, looking anxious. Maybe she suspected it was Jace’s drama that they were gathered for, but the fact that Max was there confused her.

 

Not sure how to say it gently, and not sure it was possible even if he wasn’t a very blunt person, Alec tried to softly say, “Dad’s going to live somewhere else for now. He left earlier today.”

 

Max’s spoon dropped from his almond jelly as he frowned. “What do you mean?”

 

“He already left?” Izzy asked, her eyes filling with tears as her hands clenched into fists.

 

“Yes,” Alec said sympathetically, moving around the booth to wrap an arm around her. She didn’t pull into the comfort like she usually would, still too upset.

 

“Why didn’t he say goodbye?” Max demanded angrily.

 

“Max--,” Jace tried to start, but it was no use.

 

“No!” Max interrupted, getting out of the booth after shoving his plate away. “You guys made him leave! Why couldn’t you just like girls?”

 

Both Alec and Jace recoiled, and Izzy followed Max as he stormed away from the table. Jace’s face fell and Alec’s hands moved to rub his own temples. They both sat in uneasy and rough silence as Izzy and Max were absent, before Jace finally asked, “Magnus couldn’t come?”

 

“I didn’t think it was appropriate,” Alec sighed. “Guess I was right.”

 

“Max doesn’t really blame you, Alec,” Jace said. “He’s just upset and doesn’t understand why Dad’s suddenly gone. It’s not like anyone told our eight year old brother that Dad knocked someone barely legal girl up or that he’s been cheating on mom for a year.”

 

Slowly, Alec nodded, but despite that he didn’t feel much better. This was one of his nightmares, Max hating him for who he was and who he loved. Logically, he knew that wasn’t the case, but emotionally he felt like someone had run him over with a truck.

 

“When we get home I’ll help you activate one of my old phones,” Alec told Jace offhandedly, trying to distract himself and his brother.

 

Jace vaguely nodded his thanks.

 

When Izzy came back, Max apologized and went back to his dessert, looking mildly calmer. The rest of the meal was somber, as well as the thought of going home to their mother, but as Izzy told them before they left the restaurant, “We’re Lightwoods. We can’t be broken.”

  
*  
  


At this point Alec barely had to knock on the front door to Magnus’ house, since his boyfriend was normally the only person home as his large front driveway showed. As he walked in the mansion he made his way upstairs, only barely knocking on Magnus’ door as he entered. The dazzling older boy turned around from his desk, looking as though he had been doing history homework. Alec plopped on Magnus’ unoccupied bed with a heavy sigh, finally feeling a bit at peace now that he wasn’t near the current pain of his family.

 

“"Hello Alexander," Magnus said, his smile lighting up brightly at the interruption. He swiveled around in his desk chair, immediately getting up and moving onto the bed with Alec. "How was the dinner?"

 

“I’d rate it somewhere between the one where I came out and somewhere between the one where Jace did,” Alec replied, and Magnus grimaced. Alec leaned his head back against Magnus’ elaborate headboard, not realizing how exhausted he was until now.

 

With a sympathetic smile Magnus kissed him sweetly, for a long time until Alec finally pulled away with a slow exhale. “I needed that.”

 

“I imagine,” Magnus said. “So in one day your brother became a target of Sebastian's cruelty but your horrible abusive father left? I might call that even."

 

Alec smiled at the slightly morbid humor despite himself, and Magnus gave him a wink. More seriously, Alec said, “I don’t know what to do about the Sebastian thing. I’d love to knock his ass out but I’d rather not get thrown off the team my Junior year when I already have potential scholarships. Jace is pretending he’s not freaked out, but I know he is. He never misses practice.”

 

Magnus hummed sympathetically, before darkly saying, “My father could probably make him disappear.”

 

It didn’t sound like his boyfriend was completely joking, and Alec wasn’t sure he wanted to ask. Whenever he did, Magnus was rather vague, and Alec had started to suspect that whatever it was, it wasn’t on the legal side of things.

 

“Considering I don’t want to be an accessory to murder or whatever he might do, what other tips might you have?” Alec asked, shifting to straddle Magnus’ lap, resting his head on Magnus’ shoulder.

 

“Well, if Jace decides to find some sort of charges to bring to court, it’s extremely unlikely he’ll win anything with Sebastian’s father being one of the best lawyers in the state,” Magnus said thoughtfully. “It’s possible but extremely unlikely that you could get Camille to rein him in. Even when I was dating Camille my path with him didn’t cross often though; she and I ate at separate tables during lunch. Ragnor and Catarina would have killed me if I invited any of that group besides Raphael over.”

 

Alec humphed at the mention of Raphael, and Magnus kindly rolled his eyes. “He’s not as bad as you make him out to be, Alexander. I realize you’re biased due to your sister, but he’s not a terrible person.”

 

“Do you think _he_ would know how to get rid of Sebastian?” Alec asked reluctantly.

 

Magnus considered. “I wouldn’t put it past him. He only sits with them every now and then to learn their weaknesses.”

 

“And you said he wasn’t a terrible person.” Alec asked sarcastically.

 

“Yes,” Magnus argued. “I didn’t say he was always a  _ nice _ person, but he isn’t a terrible person. Anyway, are we really going to spend the night talking about Sebastian and Raphael? Because if so I’m going to need you to get off my lap, you’re distracting.”

 

Alec grinned, shaking his head, and relaxed against Magnus who embraced him easily. It was peaceful and rejuvenating, and everything he needed after the day. He kissed under Magnus’ ear, making his boyfriend hum, but pulled back and groaned after a thought occurred to him. “I can’t stay over. I didn’t bring clothes, we have school in the morning.”

 

Magnus grinned in response. “Oh, Alexander, do you really think I haven’t prepared for this scenario?”

 

“I can’t borrow your clothes, Magnus, I’m like half a foot taller than you,” Alec huffed, annoyed when Magnus jumped up and Alec tumbled off of him.

 

“Obviously,” Magnus replied, with a slight roll of his eyes. “That’s why I bought a few outfits your size just for this type of occasion.”

 

Alec let out a little groan. He couldn’t say no to Magnus, and even if he could the last thing he wanted was to go home to sleep right now. Suspiciously, he mutters, “No bright colors?”

 

Magnus squinted. “Somehow I think your definition of bright is simply ‘not black’, but most of the shirts are a medium dark blue. And while it physically pained me to do so, your jeans are mostly the same. They are better fitted, however.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Alec responded with a small smile, unable to help it. It was one thing to let Magnus pick out outfits for him, although from how Magnus described them they weren’t that much different from Alec’s usual style… it was another thing entirely that Magnus had bought clothes to keep at his place. Not for in case they had sex, Alec knew, but because Magnus considered this just as much Alec’s home as his.

 

“I love you,” Alec told him seriously, not matching the light mood seconds prior.

 

Magnus smiled softly. “I’m glad you trust my superior fashion sense as well as love me.”

 

“At least one of those is true,” Alec replied with a smirk.

 

Magnus thrust his hand to his chest, heaving a deep sigh. "You wound me." The corners of his lips were tugging upward, however.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always please comment/review!!! Even if it's just one sentence it means a lot and more than kudos (although kudos are also amazing of course). Love you guys and hope you liked the chapter! More coming your way soon!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jace and Simon try their luck with a third date

 

* * *

 

 

“Fine,” Simon sighed, throwing his hands up in the air as he and Izzy sat at the local coffee shop off of the school campus during lunch. It had been a few days since the Sebastian incident, and Jace hadn't said much to him other than vague comments about how his siblings were handling the separation. Any time Simon tried to bring up Sebastian, Jace quickly changed the subject but Simon knew the problem hadn't just gone away. “If you’re really not going to talk at all about Clary, even though that’s _clearly_ bothering you, can I talk about your brother instead?”

 

“Hm,” Izzy hummed, her frown turning around as her lips twisted upward. “You mean Alec, or your boyfriend?”

 

Simon glared at her, but that only made her giggle at him. “We haven’t even kissed.”

 

“Well date one wasn’t even a date so much as an awakening,” Izzy began, laughing at the way Simon scrunched up his nose. “And date two was a disaster, so obviously you need another date to get the chance. Third time’s a charm and what not.”

 

“Right,” Simon huffed. “Because he’s totally thinking about going on a date with me when I’m the reason he’s in such a fucked up situation with Sebastian. He almost got kicked off the team, for fucks sake. He probably would have if he wasn’t amazing.”

 

Izzy sighed, a dark look in her eyes, but she shook her head. “Sebastian is the reason he’s in a fucked up situation with Sebastian, Simon. This would have happened with whoever Jace had dated next I’m sure. Jace needs something normal in his life with everything going on.”

 

“Kind of like you?” Simon shot back, raising an eyebrow and pointedly referring to Clary. Izzy threw her straw at him, and he had to wipe whipped cream off his face before he could roll his eyes. “Look, I get that your parents are-- not understanding, at best,” he said, gently stepping around straight out insulting her mother and father. “But it’s not like Alec and Jace haven’t already paved the way for you.”

 

“My parents aren’t why,” Izzy snapped, finally giving in. She huffed in exasperation at the admittal, as if she hadn’t really meant to say anything, before glaring at Simon in the typical Lightwood fashion that made him fear for his life. “I did something stupid after she ran off at the party, okay?”

 

With a nod, he tried to look curious, but failed. Izzy caught on and became even more angry, and he quickly tried to recover the situation. “Look, Magnus told me, not Jace. He called when Alec was taking care of you guys that night and went on a long rant blaming me for Jace and you and Maia-- I think he was tipsy too, to be honest-- and I haven’t said anything to Clary or you because I didn’t want to rat out Magnus.”

 

With a withering stare and a long drink of her coffee as if she was debating whether or not to let him live, she finally pursed her lips, put down her coffee, and said, “I’m the worst person ever, Simon.”

 

“We were just talking about the worst, you rank pretty low in comparison,” Simon told her sympathetically. “And look, I get it. You weren’t exactly out completely like Clary was so it was probably terrifying. Kissing Maia probably was just your drunk way of making sure you liked girls and not just wanted to like Clary.”

 

Izzy paused, playing with her napkin. “You know Simon, for someone who is quite possibly the worst person at chemistry I’ve ever tutored, you’re kind of smart.”

 

“Ah, there’s those backhanded Lightwood sibling compliments I love,” Simon said in return, earning a small smile from Izzy.

 

“You won’t tell her, right?” she asked him, her big brown eyes watching with some fear. “I mean I know I have no right to ask and it’s Clary who you tell everything to because you’re a terrible liar and you talk with her about everything, but--,”

 

“I won’t tell her,” Simon reassured her. “On the condition that you two finally talk something out this weekend.”

 

Izzy nodded. “Fine, but you have to come over for dinner and a movie with Jace. I’ll take Max out to the theater and arcade, my mom will probably be busy late at the office if I tell her I’m taking Max, and then Alec will gladly go to see Magnus if it means not seeing you and Jace make out.”

 

Simon threw the straw back at Izzy. “I’m the one with leverage here, how are you adding on to our deal?”

 

All she did was raise an eyebrow. It was enough. Simon said, “Alright, fine, but I’m not saying we’ll make out. I’m a classy date, Isabelle Lightwood.”

 

Even though it was mostly true, they both burst out laughing.

 

 

* * *

 

  


“What is it with every single person I know setting up dates with Simon for I like we can't do it ourselves?” Jace asked his sister with an exasperated huff as she caught him after school football practice and informed him that he now had a dinner date tonight.

 

Izzy laughed, a playful expression on her face as she raised an eyebrow and asked, “Can you?”

 

Jace glared at her. “Don't make me bring up Clary to spite you.”

 

Primly, pursing her lips, his sister told him, “We're talking about everything this weekend, thank you very much.”

 

“Okay, fine.” Jace rolled his eyes. It wasn't ideal timing, but he couldn't really avoid Simon forever. Not that he technically had, outright at least. They'd texted and talked briefly in between classes, but there wasn't any overt flirting like there had been. Jace was too preoccupied.

 

No one in the entire school had said anything straight to Jace's face about the pictures, other than an angry football coach who had given him a stern lecture and the most grueling extra workout of his life. They didn't say anything, but Jace wasn't stupid. Before everything, all the students his grade and some higher had stared at him in awe, envy, or some sort of stereotypical teenage lust. Now the gazes were either pity or thinly veiled disgust. Not homophobia, for the most part, but some other monster. Once he had been greeted with hellos by more people than he even knew, now only most of his team acknowledged him and the rest of the school only whispered when they thought he couldn't see them.

 

All of it was entirely stupid. It's not like Sebastian had outed him, most of the school knew he was bi after freshman and sophomore parties. He knew very well that he wasn't the first teenager at that school to have sent racy texts to someone else either. Jace couldn't tell if the scandal lied in who was involved, how it came to light, or simply in the fact that teenagers thrived on gossip.

 

“You're okay, right?” Izzy asked him when he was quiet, following him to his car for a ride home. “I mean if you're not I can totally cancel or pretend Max wanted to stay home and make it a group thing.”

 

“No, I'm fine,” Jace replied, although his voice sounded stranger than he had wanted. “I don't want things to get weirder than they already are.”

 

“Good,” Izzy said lightly. “So you should order in from that Italian dine out place down the street, I checked and they actually do have kosher dishes. Also I don’t know what movie you’re in the mood for, but if you pick some cliche gay romance film like Brokeback Mountain I’m going to judge you for eternity. I’m not saying you should pick a comedy, knowing how you like to brood, but at least keep it from being some depressing indie movie, okay?”

 

It was nice that she had done this for him, really, but Jace had to fight the urge to snap at her as they reached his car. He knew she was using his love life as a distraction from the shittiness at home and now school and that was the only thing keeping him from angrily telling her to back off. “Okay Izzy.”

She seemed to realize she had pushed slightly too far after his tone, and sighed. “I just want you to be happy, you know that, right?”

 

He nodded. “Yes, I do, but both Alec and I are fine and so is Max. You should focus on your happiness too instead of going out of your way for everyone else sometime.”

 

“Sure Jace,” she said in return, not too far off from the tone he had just used before.

 

Sophomore year couldn’t be over fast enough.

  
*  


When Simon knocked on the door Jace hesitantly rushed to get it, the food having just arrived ten minutes prior. He opened the door to see Simon dressed casually, but noticed that the boy’s hair was more styled than usual and he had a nice scent of cologne on. Jace smiled briefly, invited Simon in, and took him to the dinner table. It was slightly awkward eating a meal with only one other person at a long six chair table, but Jace relaxed when Simon enthusiastically commented on the meal.

 

“It’s just from down the block,” Jace said with a smile. “Don’t expect me to be some great cook.”

 

“Based on your sister’s cooking, I wouldn’t,” Simon replied with a laugh. “I know this place, my mom and my sister and I order from here all the time.”

 

Jace chuckled in return, swirling pasta on to his fork for a moment. While he should keep the conversation light for a date, he couldn’t help but fall into the same intensity he usually had with Simon, although this time instead of passionate arguing it was vulnerability. “What’s it like, having a single parent?”

 

Looking surprised at the turn of topic, Simon frowned. Jace went to apologize but before he could Simon answered him. “It’s… Well I guess I’ve just gotten used to it for the most part. I mean, it’s not like my parent’s just got divorced, so I don’t really know what you’re going through at the moment, but long term-- it becomes normal. There’s always days where it isn’t, and moments where it sucks not having a father around, but you kinda just deal with it.”

 

“Sorry,” Jace said instantly. “I shouldn’t have asked, that was stupid. I wasn’t thinking about how different it was.”

 

Simon shook his head. “No, it’s fine. It’s been a long time since he died and I’ve accepted it for the most part.”  


“How?” Jace asked roughly. Brown eyes watched him carefully, clearly seeing through the cover that he was only thinking about his adopted parents. Dropping his fork and pushing his plate away, Jace tried to control his tightening throat as he explained. “I-- I mean I told you I was adopted and that I found out last summer. I was stupid and looked up the names from my birth certificate as if it mattered where they were or why they gave me up.”

 

“That doesn’t sound stupid, Jace.” Simon said softly. He had also stopped eating.

 

Jace scoffed. “It was, Simon. I would have been much better off not knowing.”

 

There was something in the way Simon wasn’t sure how much to ask that reminded Jace of how new this all was. Their third date, for Christ’s sake, that was all it took for him to entirely unload his drama to someone who used to hate his guts. But Simon hadn’t _really_ hated him, he tried to remind himself, and it wasn’t like they had no idea what the other was like. They had been in the same grade for years, the same social circle… Still, Jace felt open in ways he despised feeling. Simon’s soft look wasn’t helping, at least until the boy gathered up the courage to ask, “What happened?”

 

“My father was randomly murdered when I was barely a month old,” Jace answered after a minute of debate. Simon tried to hide his expression, but the brunette wasn’t an actor by any stretch of the imagination. “And then my mother killed herself over it. It’s like a goddamn lifetime movie. And I feel stupid for caring, because it’s not like I ever knew them and I’ve been raised by a family almost ever since and not shuffled through the foster system, but for some reason I can’t get it out of my head.”

 

“No one would ever expect you to, Jace. Well other than yourself, because you’re a goddamn perfectionist in disguise, but-- that’s really traumatic stuff to find out,” Simon told him sympathetically. “You get to be upset for having that chance to know them taken away no matter how long ago they died or whether you’re taken care of now. You don’t think I’m not upset that my Dad isn’t here anymore? Not just because I knew him, but simply because he was my Dad.”

 

Jace didn’t reply. He stared at the plate of food in front of him, wishing that he was hungry and even more that he had turned this into some therapy session and not a date. “Thanks. So what movie do you want to watch?”

 

Simon looked as though he was torn between glaring and rolling his eyes. “Jace, I’m not stupid. We’re not enemies or just friends--” he said ‘just friends’ tenuously “--so I’m not going to let you off the hook as if your emotions don’t matter.”

 

“Look this was supposed to be a date, not me unloading my darkest secrets onto you, so let’s just watch a damn movie, okay?”

 

“No,” Simon said stubbornly. “What do you think a real relationship is, Jace? It’s not just movies and good italian food. It’s opening up to the other person. Look, you don’t have to talk about yourself if that makes you uncomfortable, but at least let me level the playing field.”

 

“You don’t have to--,”

 

“My mom is an alcoholic,” Simon interrupted, ignoring Jace completely. Jace stopped being defensive immediately to listen, half shocked. While he had known that Simon had been through stuff, he hadn’t known that much. “That’s part of the reason why I’m so close to Clary’s family since my sister gets really freaked out when she has to take care of my mom and worry about me at the same time. I’m the one who found my Dad. My bubbie Helen lived through the Holocaust and tells us stories that used to give me nightmares for months. I can’t stand feet.”

 

Jace blinked at the last confession, not catching on that Simon had added it for humor until he stopped talking and flashed a rueful smile. There was a lull as both of them studied each other and Jace searched for what to say. ‘I’m sorry’ seemed inadequate, as well as simply thanking Simon for sharing, so instead Jace found Simon’s hand on the table and took it in silence. It was a charged moment, and if this were any other time he would have kissed Simon immediately. After what all had been said, it didn’t seem appropriate.

 

“When you said real relationship,” Jace said after a moment, “is that-- is that what you want? With me?”

 

Suddenly looking awkward, despite everything that had just been said between them, Simon nervously stared at their hands. “I mean, I’m not exactly the Netflix and chill type.”

 

At that Jace had to laugh. “Yeah, I don’t know how I’d never guess that.”

 

“Hey, I could be,” Simon grinned back. “I could be one of those nerds that plays WoW but has a secret kinky grindr account.”

 

“I’m not even going to ask if you actually have a profile on there,” Jace said in return, barely able to speak. “But you didn’t answer my question.”

 

Simon paused his laughter, huffed, and playfully said, “Fine, Jace, I guess I’ll be your stupid boyfriend.”

 

He looked nervous after he said it, though, and Jace smiled before rolling his eyes. “Fine, Lewis, I guess I’ll let you.”

 

* * *

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters!! I wanted to give you guys some pure jimon fluff/hurt-comfort before I tie everything up! I know you guys probably hate me for not letting them kiss... but I'm committed to that slowburn life. Please let me know what you think!!!


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